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W. Gifford-Jones: Soldier with a stethoscope


by Judi McLeod
September 23, 2002

Dr. W. Gifford -Jones, Dr. Ken Walker in real life, is one savvy sawbones.

Down to earth, interesting to talk to and witty, the word patient in his case speaks more about his virtues than his clientele.

As Gifford-Jones, he’s Canada’s best -known medical journalist. As Dr. Ken Walker, he’s a popular Toronto-based gynecologist.

Both his newspaper columns The Doctor Game and his five best-selling books make fascinating reads. He transforms writing from the potentially boring world of medicine into something both interesting and informative. One of his books, The Healthy Barmaid is a gem that I read in one sitting. At its centre, is an 85-year-young lady bartender in Britain named Ida. Gifford-Jones met Ida–who it turns out used to baby-sit him 60 years ago-- enroute to a medical conference by chance encounter.

Dr. Gifford-Jones’ columns appear in both Toronto Free Press and his regular column appears here on CanadaFreePress.com. So excellent is the material of his columns that that I wish I could lay exclusive claim to them. But translated into French, German and Chinese, his columns appear in 90 Canadian newspapers and 400 in the United States.

In the current day, not too many of our men and women in white are standing tall against bureaucracy and politicians.

Never a fence sitter, since his graduation from Harvard Medical School, Gifford-Jones is out there telling it like it is.

With a penchant for taking tough stands on medical issues of the day and communicating his ideas in common-sense language, the good doctor is now leading the charge against new Federal Minister of Health Anne McLellan. on the medicinal use of marijuana.

Putting it in Gifford-Jones’ inimitable style…"What she (McLellan) has done is unbelievable hypocrisy. What’s worse, the Canadian Medical Association in its infinite wisdom has agreed with her.

"The minister argues she’s not comfortable providing marijuana until clinical trials prove it’s safe. Come on! Let’s be sensible. Have you considered how uncomfortable patients are day after day retching and in pain? And you ask them to wait for years? They will be dead by that time."

Pooh-pooh words from Annie pale in the harsh reality of Gifford-Jones’ medical world. And her words can do little to deter a lifelong doctor who sees agony at the bedside of live patients.

Says the doctor: "The Minister should know that thousands of patients die every year from the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to treat arthritis. Others from taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. But I’ve never heard of anyone dying from smoking pot."

This is not the first time that Gifford-Jones, aka Ken Walker has drawn on his remarkable courage to fight the good battle.

Back in 1983, he set up the W. Gifford-Jones Foundation to help legalize heroin for the treatment of terminal cancer pain. The campaign succeeded in 1984 after thousands of Canadians sent letters to the federal government.

"It was a battle we won, but we lost the war due to bureaucratic red tape that surrounds heroin’s use," he recalled.

"Today, too few medical people understand pain control. You don’t have to be a Harvard graduate to realize it’s better to keep the pain control ahead of the pain."

Losing the war on heroin only sharpens his zeal to win the battle of pot.

"Currently there are about 800 patients who have applied for the use of marijuana on compassionate grounds. The Federal government has approved these cases.

"Now due to Anne McLellan’s shilly-shallying they will continue to retch, have needless epileptic attacks and debilitating pain.

"Human compassion and that alone, should make marijuana available to patients who need it. It’s too bad that politicians, doctors and moralists along with Anne McLellan can’t be made to suffer these symptoms for 24 long hours. How quickly unjust, unreasonable, cruel laws would change!"

Meanwhile, while McLellan and Company continue to blow smoke rings, they can’t hide from the foot soldier with the stethoscope.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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