NL Health Services says many of the province’s latest recruits are heading to rural parts of the province.

VP of Medical Services, Dr. Gena Bugden, says of the 25 doctors signed on since January, the majority will provide care in rural central and eastern Newfoundland.

She says the physicians hired target a number of specialties, but most are practicing family medicine.

While the province is touting its latest physician recruitment efforts, it’s unclear as to if there was a net gain in adding 25 new doctors to the fold.

Dr. Bugden says it’s hard to pinpoint how many professionals left the field during the latest recruitment blitz given the number of reasons a physician may resign such as retirement or moving into a different role within the health care sector.