A northeastern Saskatchewan community isn’t waiting for the province’s efforts to retain and recruit physicians to bear fruit.
The doctor shortage in Nipawin is approaching the crisis level.
Further deterioration of the situation could jeopardize the town hospital’s ability to provide acute medical care on a daily basis, says the town’s administration.
“Normally as a municipality we’re not really in the health-care business or delivery of it, but we’ve decided that we need to assist those that are in that business where we can,” said Nipawin mayor Glen Day.
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According to the health region, there should be 10 to 12 doctors servicing the 16,000 people using the services of Nipawin’s health-care system. There are five doctors, two of whom are leaving.
The town is spearheading two initiatives to reverse the flow of doctors out of the community. The first is the construction of new housing earmarked for health-care professionals.
The second is a financial aid program to reduce the costs of running a clinic in the community.
“We’re certainly hopeful that what we’re doing takes a couple of the concerns out of the mix for retention and attraction of physicians and health care people,” said Day.
Construction of a 223 sq. metre duplex and a 372 sq. metre four-plex is scheduled to start this month with an estimated fall completion date for both units.
The estimated value of the project is $1 million but it will cost far less than that due to contributions from a number of organizations. Kelsey Trail health region is donating the land. The town is providing in-kind labour, expertise in planning, excavation, trenching and finish grade work and a loan guarantee.
The new homes will be rented to health care professionals on a break-even basis.
Nipawin and surrounding urban and rural municipalities and First Nations are also providing a subsidy of up to $20,000 per doctor and $15,000 per nurse practitioner to a maximum of $250,000 over a five-year period.
The cost of the program works out to $9 per capita for the balance of this year and $18 per capita for 2010. The program is scheduled to begin on June 1.
Help with costs
Day said the subsidy should help the town’s health care professionals offset the fixed costs of running a clinic, a burden being shared by half as many people as it should be.
Reaction to the programs from the existing health care professionals has been positive.
“They are very pleased with it and they are of the opinion that this will go a long way to helping them recruit,” he said.
Day is hopeful that by mid-summer there will be two or three new doctors in the community to help pick up some of the health care slack.
