Today is World Family Doctor Day.

The theme for this year is Healthy Planet, Healthy People—highlighting the connection between people’s well-being and the role of family doctors.

In the House of Assembly earlier this week. Health Minister Tom Osborne commended them for the care they provide to communities in the province—those that have a family doctor, that is.

Osborne says the provincial government is committed to supporting family doctors and improving family medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador.

He says “over 100 physicians have been recruited in the past year,” including more than 50 family physicians to work throughout the province.

“We are expanding the number of Faculty of Medicine seats for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, boosting recruitment and retention initiatives, and developing family care teams to increase access to health care and create collaborative environments for family physicians.”

PC Opposition House Leader Barry Petten says while he’s pleased with the number of seats being increased at MUN, he says government fails to acknowledge the stress it’s causing that is forcing health care professionals to leave.

He cited as an example the situation in LaScie, “which presently has no access to primary care providers, but once again, the minister shuts them out.”