Lack of family doctors a concern
posted:
May 10 2010d'Entremont, Chris
TUSKET – Lack of access to a family doctor is a growing concern for Yarmouth residents, who are spending up to 10 hours in emergency rooms to receive 15 minute consultations.
“Family doctors are at capacity and cannot accept new patients, and as a result people have to go to the emergency room for small, routine issues,” Argyle MLA Chris d’Entremont said in the Legislature. “It's hardly the kind of efficiency that we need in our health care system.”
Two clinics were established in the region, Ocean View Family Clinic and Harbour View Family Clinic, to be used as training facilities for foreign trained doctors seeking their Canadian license. It was hoped that they would become established in the community and set up a local practice, but that has not been the case.
“We need to address the frustration and disappointing situation of foreign doctors becoming physician transients at Ocean View and Harbour View,” said d’Entremont. “Our community needs a two-pronged commitment from this NDP government – one to address the immediate need for doctors and a second, long-term strategy to retain family doctors in our region.”
Currently, government offers debt assistance incentives for physicians to locate in rural communities. That program does not seem to be having a significant impact on recruitment and retention in Yarmouth County though.
“I have received lots of letters from concerned citizens in Yarmouth who do not have consistent access to a family doctor. One resident has had 14 different family doctors in the last thirty years,” said d’Entremont. “I hope that the NDP government increases the number of seats at the Dalhousie Medical School and allocates them specifically for service to rural areas, instead of making further reductions in their funding.”
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For more information, please contact:
Sarah Reeves, Communications Officer
Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Caucus
902.424.7723 (office)
902.476.4167 (mobile)
