Two area residents appeared before city council on March 20 with questions about the amount of doctors practising in Flin Flon.
Telis Keramydas posed two questions to council in advance of the meeting: “What steps have you taken, if any, to make sure that the local NRHA (sic) is doing everything necessary to fix the problem with the doctor shortage?” and “Is the city planning a general meeting with the leaders from the NRHA to address peoples’ concerns?”
During the meeting, Mayor Cal Huntley, who also serves as the chair of the board of directors for the Nothern Health Region (NHR) told Keramydas, “The comment I would make is that we’re going to be working with the regional health authority, as is every other community in the north because it’s not a unique situation to Flin Flon.”
“But I do have a role in the NRHA (sic) and we have had some discussions. What we’re doing isn’t working, and we have to look at perhaps a new model of getting positions readily available on a regular basis.”
Helga Bryant, CEO of the NHR has previously said that the organization recruits international medical graduates who often work for the NHR until they pass the Canadian Family Practitioner Exam, at which point they typically move to larger centres, sometimes leaving a gap of several months between the time they leave and the time another physician arrives. Dr. Farshid Eghbali left the NHR’s clinic earlier this month, leaving one of the three full-time physician positions the NHR is funded for vacant. The NHR is currently scheduling locums to offset the impact of Dr. Eghbali’s departure. An NHR spokesperson said the process of securing locums to fill the gaps will be an ongoing process until a permanent replacement is found, and that the organization is working with Manitoba Health on increasing funding for the number of physicians it can hire.
Locum physicians provide service in Flin Flon for the NHR while a full-time position is vacant, and Huntley said the NHR is considering the idea that those locums may consider regular terms.
“So you’d see the same doctor you see all the time, he’s keeping his credentials and his experience up to speed because he’s also working in the city,” said Huntley.
“We’d have access to the kind of care we want.”
A spokesperson from the NHR said the concept is a work in progress that the organization is looking into to decrease service gaps at the Flin Flon Clinic, but that nothing has been formalized.
Huntley noted the turnover of physicians in the NHR doesn’t seem to be a matter of pay, but rather that the doctors want to live in large urban centres. He said the city has not been formally involved in steering the conversation about long-term doctor coverage.
As a business person, Keramydas said he wants to see the area thriving and full of people, and commented that communication to the public about what is being done to address the issue needs to improve.
“That hurts the community…when you have a rumour there are no doctors,” said Keramydas.
“We have one of the biggest senior communities per capita. That will scare some people away.”
According to the most recent census results, 15.6 per cent of Flin Flon’s population is over the age of 65. Within the next decade, another 18 per cent of the population is expected to age into that category.
Bruce Reid also appeared before council questioning why there are no fee-for-service doctors in town.
“Today, why the hell can’t we establish a clinic? There must be doctors some place who would be willing to set up a clinic. Why is that not an option?” he asked.
Coun. Colleen McKee had a similar question. Huntley responded that fee-for-service doctors setting up a private practice is an option. In that case, the initiative lies with potential doctors.
“I just really think this could be figured out,” said McKee.
“I know we’re not the only community in this situation. At the same time, do I think there are things we can do better? I believe there are.”
McKee said that good doctors are necessary if Flin Flon is to be promoted as a senior-friendly community.
“I think that sitting down with [the NHR] and helping brainstorm…maybe we can work together.”
Huntley said he does not believe the city has a responsibility to recruit fee-for-service doctors, who would operate outside of the NHR.
“In my personal opinion, I do not. We have neither the resources nor the expertise to take the lead in this initiative, and I’m not sure that is even the solution,” said Huntley.
Keramydas hopes to see the city organize a forum for people to voice their concerns about health care in Flin Flon. The Manitoba Liberal Party hosted a similar meeting last month, and provincial NDP representatives from both Manitoba and Saskatchewan intend to host one in mid-April, but Keramydas is concerned those meetings will not reach people who don’t affiliate with those parties.
“I was wondering if they can do one as the city, because some people may feel that is not the political party that represents them or that it is not a political issue…if it’s hosted by the city, generally everybody can go,” said Keramydas, who believes there is a business opportunity for doctors in Flin Flon.
“[There is] a clinic that is empty. If we could put two or three doctors in there, that would be great.”
