Yukon physician shortage taxes family doctors
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《加拿大医疗协会学报》
About 5000 patients in the Yukon Territory lack a family physician, and the shortage of specialists is putting increasing strain on existing doctors, says the president of the Yukon Medical Association.
"A lot of our time is spent working at the hospital and trying to get specialist services that are not available here," says Dr. Rao Tadepolli, the YMA president.
The Yukon, home to about 31 000 people, lacks a cardiologist, for example, and has only one psychiatrist; 2 pediatricians and an internal medicine specialist visit regularly.
When a specialist is not available, local physicians must arrange for patients to be transported to hospitals in other provinces. Although the Whitehorse General Hospital has traditionally been linked to BC institutions, Tadepolli says they have had trouble recently getting patient beds in BC. That means that physicians have to spend a lot of unpaid hours finding a hospital bed elsewhere.
Often there are 2 or 3 patients a day requiring medical evacuation, Tadepolli says. "We would certainly like some help."
The territorial government is running a one-year pilot program to attract international medical graduates. The IMGs must pass an evaluating exam and be sponsored and overseen by a full-time physician. So far, one physician is participating in the Health Canada sponsored program.
The territorial government also provides office start-up funds and supports residents who are interested in taking part of their training in rural and remote areas. But few doctors are interested.
The Yukon government is waiting for confirmation of federal funding to help develop and implement a health human resources strategy, says spokeswoman Patricia Living.(Laura Eggertson)
"A lot of our time is spent working at the hospital and trying to get specialist services that are not available here," says Dr. Rao Tadepolli, the YMA president.
The Yukon, home to about 31 000 people, lacks a cardiologist, for example, and has only one psychiatrist; 2 pediatricians and an internal medicine specialist visit regularly.
When a specialist is not available, local physicians must arrange for patients to be transported to hospitals in other provinces. Although the Whitehorse General Hospital has traditionally been linked to BC institutions, Tadepolli says they have had trouble recently getting patient beds in BC. That means that physicians have to spend a lot of unpaid hours finding a hospital bed elsewhere.
Often there are 2 or 3 patients a day requiring medical evacuation, Tadepolli says. "We would certainly like some help."
The territorial government is running a one-year pilot program to attract international medical graduates. The IMGs must pass an evaluating exam and be sponsored and overseen by a full-time physician. So far, one physician is participating in the Health Canada sponsored program.
The territorial government also provides office start-up funds and supports residents who are interested in taking part of their training in rural and remote areas. But few doctors are interested.
The Yukon government is waiting for confirmation of federal funding to help develop and implement a health human resources strategy, says spokeswoman Patricia Living.(Laura Eggertson)