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Doctors recruited to region told they can’t be hired
Susan Thompson
for Smoky River Express
Residents are wondering why two doctors recruited to serve the community of McLennan have been told they cannot practice in the area.
Dr. Cheddie and Dr. Singh, a husband and wife team, were recruited from out of the country to practice medicine in McLennan, Slave Lake, and High Prairie. The recruitment process took several years to complete.
“The government has given funding to Peace Country Health to recruit doctors. There is a screening process in place. Doctors get screened on do they meet the requirements of what we are looking for, and then we show them around at the hospitals and the community, which takes a lot of time and energy,” explains Myrna Lanctot, chair of the Smoky River Regional Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee.
Dr. Cheddie, a surgeon, was chosen to fill a job vacancy that has been open for approximately five years. Dr. Cheddie’s wife, Dr. Singh, is an anesthesiologist whose expertise is also needed in the region.
The recruitment committee was excited to see two critical positions finally filled this summer, until it learned the doctors they’d recruited were not hired.
“The hospital was told it was not able to employ them at this point,” explains Myrna Lanctot, Chairperson of the Smoky River Regional Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee.
The reason given was a province-wide hiring freeze on health care positions recently put in place by Alberta Health Services, but Lanctot stresses the committee still hasn’t received any explanation in writing.
“We want clarification on why, and we want to know if our efforts are being wasted or what’s going on.”
The committee, which is made up of municipal representatives, community agencies and volunteers, has sent a letter to President and CEO of AHS Dr. Stephen Duckett asking for clarification. Before beginning the recruitment process the committee had carefully researched whether there was enough work in the region for a general surgeon and had concluded there was definitely a physician shortage.
“Ultimately, our doctors are being put under the stress of more hours and heavier work loads. Some community members don’t have family doctors.”
Three communities were going to benefit from the hirings because the doctors were going to travel.
“The [surgeon] is also able to do more complicated surgeries, such as carpal tunnel and delivering babies. There is a lot of stuff he’s able to do that we don’t have now.”
Lanctot says she believes recruiting doctors to the area would also take stress off of larger centres like Grande Prairie and reduce waiting lists.
The recruitment committee is still waiting to receive a response from AHS.
Meanwhile, the committee is asking for letters of supports from the municipalities involved. McLennan town council passed a motion to send a letter of support at their July 13 meeting, and Lanctot says if local residents send letters as well it may help.
“We hope community members at large will understand what’s going on and support us.”
An emergency meeting was held by the recruitment community on Monday to determine what the next step will be in doctor recruitment.
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