Peterborough County needs doctors, Senis tells health minister

Selwyn Township Deputy Mayor Sherry Senis took her issues concerning the physician scarcity in Peterborough County on to Well being Minister Christine Elliott on Monday throughout a digital Rural Ontario Municipal Affiliation convention.

Senis gave a presentation to Elliott, which she stated was well-received by the minister who “was very receptive and felt the suggestions had been good.”

“We want physicians and I imagine the province will work proactively to search out methods to draw extra physicians to our space,” Senis instructed The Examiner in an electronic mail following the assembly.

Senis offered a report ready by Maria Gomez, a committee member with the training division of the Canadian Affiliation of Employees Doctor Recruiters and director for the West Northumberland Doctor Recruitment. 

Gomez was employed by the Peterborough Household Well being Crew as a marketing consultant on native recruiting efforts and can proceed to serve in that function till Could.

The report included 4 suggestions made by Gomez to the province: improve residency positions and supply medical college funding, pay medical college tuition in rural communities with a return-of-service association to extend the provision of medical professionals in excessive wants communities, put money into infrastructure for physicians in excessive want communities and develop the immigrant doctor restricted licence. 

Senis instructed Elliott she lives in a brand new retirement group of 91 houses in Lakefield the place two thirds of the residents have relocated from throughout Ontario.

“They've the choice of driving nice distances to see their physician or resort to Emerg at PRHC (Peterborough Regional Well being Centre),” she instructed the minister.

“For some time, Peterborough metropolis and county loved the good thing about seeing the numbers of physicians develop in our space. At one level there have been solely 5,000 (individuals) with no physician. Sadly, it's changing into a tragic state of affairs with 11,000 individuals with no physician and, on account of pending retirements, this quantity will develop to 39,000.”

Peterborough metropolis and county have a full-blown opioid overdose disaster, she stated, and psychological well being issues are on the rise, a few of that are COVID-19 associated.

“Our demographics present now we have the second highest inhabitants of seniors within the province. We're a rural group of excessive wants, and our inhabitants is rising.”

To fight this, Gomez has proposed that town and county type an unbiased committee for  doctor recruitment, composed of public well being, physicians, native authorities and an professional within the area. 

Elliott is the one who would direct her workers to analyze the suggestions and act on them, Senis said.

“We acknowledge these are massive asks however it's these sorts of actions that will likely be vital to vary the tide,” she instructed Elliott.

NOTE: This story has been up to date to make clear that Deputy Mayor Sherry Senis offered a report that was ready by Maria Gomez.