Manitoba commits to hiring 100 doctors

The Manitoba government is committing to a plan to hire 100 new doctors next year in its 2024 budget, but is that a realistic goal?

Dr. Candace Bradshaw said Manitoba has one of the worst doctor shortages in the country — adding that 445 more doctors are needed to reach the national average.

“If we add 10 percent more doctors than average and lose 10 percent fewer doctors than average, we can get to that 100 number,” said Dr. Candace Bradshaw, a family physician at Physicians of Manitoba.

The move is part of a more than $300 million plan to hire 1,000 new health workers. Last year, the province hired 44 new doctors into the health system – the plan is to double that number by this time next year.

“I don't know how they find the 100 doctors they're talking about and what kind of incentives they give them,” said Dr. Pravinsagar Mehta, a Winnipeg family physician.

Dr. Mehta has been practicing family medicine in Winnipeg for nearly 50 years. He says there is a real shortage of family doctors in the province and that recruitment is difficult.

“We all have to work together, but even if you do that, you need a team and where do you find teams and that's the problem. It costs money, it costs time, and it's not a simple solution that you can fix in six months.”

Dr. Amanda Condon says the focus, training and recruitment of graduates in the province is critical because, she says, doctors are desperately needed in Manitoba.

“It's important to take this equity facility and ensure that we're matching people and meeting the needs of Manitobans in the province where this need is greatest, so we have to look at it as part of our recruitment strategies and ensure it's put to work.” the work we're doing,” said Dr. Condon.

“Whether it's real or not is hard to answer.”