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By Tiffany Goodwein

Doctor shortage sees calls for municipality to help with recruitment efforts

May 17, 2022 | 6:39 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – If you are looking for a family doctor, it’s tough. There is currently a shortage of family doctors in Medicine Hat, and it is a problem made worse with four more physicians and one gynecologist set to leave the city.

Dr. Gerry Prince is a local physician and he says the shortage is having an impact on the ability to find and provide care.

“Well we are holding our own right now but we are getting into trouble quickly so we are short doctors and we have always been a little short doctors. But the last few years were pretty good. But now we are losing or have lost probably 10 physicians in the last year or two,” he said.

Right now, the only family doctor accepting patients in Medicine Hat is Dr. Ian Gebhardt. He is currently facing sexual assault charges in Ontario stemming from his time there in the 1980s. Under conditions placed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, he is only allowed to accept patients 16 years and older.

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Physician shortages are being felt across Alberta, and other municipalities are stepping up recruitment efforts. Fort Macleod announced a $10,000 incentive for doctors to set up in their community, for at least five years, and last week, Lethbridge city council announced they would be spending $15,000 on a marketing campaign aimed at attracting doctors.

It’s recruitment action, Diane MacNaughton, chair of the Palliser Friends of Medicare says Medicine Hat should consider before the shortage gets worse.

“The City, they have to step forward. They can’t depend on AHS to do it,” she said.

MacNaughton said, aside from family doctors, the city is also short on Psychiatrists, with four positions that have not been filled.

“Our city should set up a council, and figure out what they should do, and we should look at a way to get doctors to move here, and we should look at the doctor and their whole family and if any doctor is interested in moving here we should show them why they should move to Medicine Hat, you know our theatres, our shops, the Medicine Hat advantage,” she said.

When asked at Monday’s council meeting if doctor recruitment was something the city planned to address, members declined to comment.

But Dr. Prince isn’t convinced that municipalities should be tasked with finding a solution.

“I think all municipalities across Alberta are looking at, how can we help our people get the services they need? And it really raises the question: Do you start having every city trying to find recruitment? Should the province be a little better?” he said.

Prince believes the issue of doctor recruitment is the fact that there is no contract for physicians in Alberta. This is leading to uncertainty, resulting in doctors either leaving the province or choosing not to set up practice in the province.

“I don’t think Medicine Hat is the problem. I think it is Alberta right now that is the problem. So I think the physicians need an agreement. They need some certainty if they are looking to change their life. They want to know that they are coming to a place where they are welcome and needed, and be able to work in an environment that provides a fair income for them,” Dr. Prince said.

In the meantime, as the doctor shortage continues those without a family doctor can expect longer wait times at walk-in clinics, and people scrambling to find care.