After a staffing agency promised to recruit 150 doctors to Manitoba, it failed to recruit a single doctor. Arrange for a provincial review of the contract. Kurt Black has the details.
Under the previous government, Manitoba signed a two-year contract with staffing firm Canadian Health Labs, which promised to bring 150 more doctors to the province.
But eight months into the contract, there are exactly no new doctors in the province.
Manitoba’s health minister confirmed they are investigating why the staffing agency failed to fulfill its part of the agreement.
“It is very disappointing,” said Uzoma Asagwara.
“As minister, I am reviewing the contract thoroughly to determine the best next steps.”
Last August, the former Progressive Conservative government signed the deal with the Toronto-based staffing company after a Canadian Institute for Health Information report found Manitoba had the second-lowest number of doctors per capita in the country.
“I would say all options are on the table as to what we need to do to ensure that Manitobans have the doctors they need to recruit to Manitoba.”
In a job posting on Canadian Health Labs’ website, the company tells interested physicians that Manitoba offers “the perfect balance between a rewarding medical career and an exceptional quality of life.”
The company’s lack of progress to this point is a significant setback for the NDP government, which committed to hiring 400 more doctors within five years in last fall’s election.
“We are tackling this challenge dynamically. There is no magic bullet to ensure we have the doctors we need,” Asagwara said.
In a statement to CityNews, the president of Doctors Manitoba describes the physician shortage in Manitoba as critical.
“Estimates from multiple sources indicate that there are 150,000 to 200,000 Manitobans without a primary care physician. Many more are unable to see their GP as quickly as they need to because GPs are overloaded due to shortages and excessive administrative burdens.”
CityNews requested an interview with Canadian Health Labs to discuss progress but did not immediately receive a response.
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