Yellowknife (Oct 08/03) - Dr. Kami Kandola has always had a passion for travel, but moving to Yellowknife was going out on a limb for her.

Her initial passion as a first-year medical student was to pursue work in international health, and for the past 10 years, Kandola has travelled to over 35 countries.

"I came to a point where I needed more balance in my life," said Kandola.

In July of last year, Kandola came to Yellowknife for a conference on public health and said she was immediately taken by the city. When offered the position of regional medical health officer a short time later, she didn't hesitate.

"It took me five minutes to decide," said Kandola. "I love the North and I am not a stranger to the North."

In mid-August she moved to Yellowknife from Ottawa, where she had been working for the Canadian International Development Agency for five years.

Kandola, among many other experiences, has worked with immigrants in community clinics all over the world, Cree in James Bay, and has done several locums in Northern Quebec.

"I can use all of my skills that I have learned in international health and apply them here," said Kandola.

As regional medical officer of health, Kandola is responsible for providing population health services to the health and social services boards/authorities in Fort Smith, Lutsel K'e, Fort Resolution, Hay River, Deh Cho region, Dogrib region and Yellowknife.

She is responsible for environmental health planning and health promotion, health status analysis and epidemiology, and she also enforces communicable disease control under the Public Health Act.

"What I see here is diseases that you would see in a third-world country, but with the health care of a first-world nation," Kandola said about the unique health challenges in the North.

"Here (in the North) you have the resources, but the problem still exists."

Kandola has settled in Yellowknife and said she has no plans to leave any time soon.

"It's such a close-knit community. This was the best decision for me," she said.

"My goal is to be here long-term."