Both the PCs and NDP are happy to see government looking to expand the number of seats in the faculty of medicine, but have concerns with the process.

The university recently issued an RFP for someone to look at the program and see what would be needed to expand.

NDP leader Jim Dinn has no doubt that an increase to the program will help address the province’s healthcare needs, but says there needs to be a focus on how to retain the students who go through it.

He says he is hearing from doctors about issues such as those with MCP. He says it is not encouraging, and physicians are leaving as a result.

Dinn also questions why an RFP is needed for the work, believing that it could be done internally, saying that it points to a lack of proper human resources to get it done.

That’s something that Paul Dinn, health critic for the PCs, also questions.

He thinks the Med School has enough resources to make the determination on their own.

Both government and the university have come out to say that they want to do their due diligence, and that the RFP will help protect the integrity of the program.