The Interim CEO of Eastern Health acknowledges that recruiting health care staff for rural areas has proven to be a challenge, but the Mayor of Whitbourne believes there are solutions that are not being explored.
Ken Baird says clinics like the one in Whitbourne have gone without ER services for so long because they’re recruiting in a globally-competitive market.
He says while their efforts are ongoing, it’s has been very difficult to recruit physicians.
Baird says they remain optimistic that the right physician can be found, but Whitbourne Mayor Hilda Whalen doesn’t believe every avenue is being pursued. She points to Canadian medical students training in Australia who can’t get residencies in Canada as an example.
She’s not sure how the premier, who has indicated the province is opening up residencies in NL for foreign-trained Canadian physicians, can bypass Ottawa, which has indicated there are no residencies available. She’s written the PM and federal MPs seeking clarification on the issue.
