Manitoba’s 100-doctor plan attainable: health-care organizations

Manitoba’s goal to add 100 doctors this year is possible with an “all-in approach,” the board chairwoman for Doctors Manitoba says.

Dr. Candace Bradshaw was one of several representatives from health-care organizations who spoke in support of the plan that was revealed in last week’s budget, during a news conference Thursday.

“We hope to see these plans include support and resources for individual doctors in Manitoba, with plans to recruit from abroad and to retain our own graduates,” Bradshaw said. The foundations are in place to support the 100-doctor plan.”

Representatives from Shared Health, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba and the Manitoba College of Family Physicians also said the plan was attainable.

The provincial government said it is working with those organizations, as well as the University of Manitoba and the Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba, on recruitment and retention.

In addition, Bradshaw said Doctors Manitoba is creating a new program to support Canadian and international doctors while they start their practices in Manitoba. Bradshaw said the improved compensation model for family physicians under their new contract is expected to make a difference in retention.

The announcement was short on specifics about how new doctors will be recruited and what action the government is taking to keep doctors from leaving the profession or the province.

Dr. Anna Ziomek, registrar and CEO of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, said to increase access to health care, the province needs to look at models of care that aren’t always physician-centric.

She thanked the government for expanding U of M’s one-year training program for international medical graduates to 30 seats from 20 seats.

“If you’re looking to keep a physician in Manitoba and keep them happy to stay here, we need to work on integrating (international medical graduates) into the system and to look at ways to make them more comfortable,” Ziomek said, describing the one-year training program as the “envy” of all other provinces and crucial to retention.

“Although (100) seems like a big number, it’s a very achievable number, and we’re pleased to be part of that effort at Shared Health,” said Shared Health chief medical officer Dr. Jose Francois.

He acknowledged the system needs to improve working conditions and move to “team-based” care.

Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara have said a provincial office for health-care recruitment and retention is being set up to tackle the goal of adding 100 doctors, 210 nurses, 600 health-care aides and 90 paramedics.

The promise is part of a $309.5-million budget promise to improve recruitment and retention.

When asked what the province is doing now that wasn’t done in the past, the premier talked about the need for a “solutions-focused” culture. In the budget, the province said it would increase medical residency spots by 38 per cent, add clinical assistant positions and reinstate the rural physician recruitment fund — an investment of $2 million.

The health minister said the government is working to simplify the immigration and licensing process for doctors.

In a statement, Progressive Conservative health critic Kathleen Cook criticized the announcement, saying it had “no details on actual measures that will attract physicians to Manitoba,” unlike recruitment plans in other provinces.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca