Timmins looking at incentives to ease doctor shortage

Officials in Timmins said a health care breakdown could hit the city in the next five years if nothing is done to replace dozens of retiring physicians in both family and specialized medicine.

Doctors are in high demand across the country and northern Ontario is no different.

Officials in Timmins said a health care breakdown could hit the city in the next five years if nothing is done to replace dozens of retiring physicians in both family and specialized medicine.

The impact of one family doctor's impending retirement on the local hospital, as another physician told city council recently, is adding more pressure to an overwhelmed health care system.

"The reputation that the medical staff, the whole hospital has is excellent," said Dr. Lesley Griffiths, a family doctor and recruitment task force member.

"The care that people receive here is excellent. There's just not enough people to provide that care."

And hospital figures show the city's doctor crisis could get worse. There are currently 88 local doctors, 35 of whom are family practice and also work at the hospital. The city also brings in 144 travelling doctors.

As the health care system barely hangs on, up to 44 local doctors who care for up to 21,000 patients are set to retire.