A new report showing acute doctor shortages in Canada’s Northern communities is precisely why the Liberal Party of Canada’s plan to attract and retain health care professionals to rural areas is so important to Canada’s future, Liberals said today.
“After five years of Stephen Harper, nothing has been done to help increase medical services in communities in the North – and we want to change that,” said Liberal Critic for Arctic Issues & Northern Development Larry Bagnell.
“It’s simply unacceptable that too many families in Canada’s North don’t have a family doctor or they have to drive or fly for hours to access health services,” said Liberal candidate for Western Arctic, Joe Handley. “It’s why we have committed to increasing the number of doctors and nurses to underserved rural communities through our ‘Rural Canada Matters’ initiative.”
A report from the Conference Board of Canada released today shows that in Canada’s Northern regions, one physician is responsible for the health of as many as 3,333 patients, compared to an average of 438 people per doctor in the southern parts of the country. The most acute shortages are in northern Saskatchewan, northern Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Nunavut.
A future Liberal government will work with the provinces and territories to forgive $5,000 per year in federal student loans – up to $20,000 over four years – for doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners who choose to practice in a designated underserved rural community. This would attract up to 1,500 new health professionals each year.
Liberals have also committed to working in partnership with provinces and territories to explore other ways to strengthen rural health services, including:
- Support for rural-focused medical and nursing education;
- Encouraging young Canadians in rural communities to go to medical school or study nursing;
- Introduce programs to find employment for the spouses of new doctors and nurses;
- Strengthen rural medicine extension programs; and
- Improve internet access for rural health practitioners.
“Our rural communities in the North deserve comparable medical services to our cities in the south,” added Liberal Rural Affairs Critic Mark Eyking. “The Liberal ‘Rural Canada Matters’ initiative is committed to supporting the priorities of Canadians and bridging the gap between the north and urban Canada.”
