Chinook Regional Hospital. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

11 international doctors potentially moving to Lethbridge this year

Apr 28, 2022 | 3:29 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – There could be some hope on the horizon for the ongoing doctor shortage in Lethbridge.

Dr. Michael Auld, a Medical Director in Alberta’s South Zone, made a presentation this week to the City of Lethbridge Cultural and Social Standing Policy Committee (SPC), giving an update on efforts related to doctor recruitment.

He says AHS has been trying to recruit more Canadian medical school graduates for years, but interest levels are not nearly as high from locals as those hailing from other countries. Having more of a balance between the two is still something he wants to pursue in the long run.

As part of an international graduate sponsorship program, they have received 100 applications for people who want to live and work in Lethbridge.

Of those, Dr. Auld says it is a real possibility that as many as 11 could be practicing in the city under five-year sponsorship agreements before the end of 2022. Three candidates have accepted their offers, seven are still considering signing, and one wants to visit the area in May before deciding one way or another.

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The goal going forward is to have up to two new offers accepted every month to get the levels of doctors in the area back up to a stable level.

However, it remains to be seen if any among the current batch of prospective international doctors would practice as family physicians.

Dr. Auld says six have a preference to work in youth mental health and three in pain management, while two are still deciding.

He adds that this will be a good thing long term, as merely having a higher number of doctors will not be enough. It will also be important to ensure that they can fill the existing gaps in local healthcare, which include, among other areas, youth mental health and pain management.

Dr. Auld spoke to the SPC in December 2021, giving a similar update.

As of the end of last year, it was estimated that there were 45,733 “unattached patients” in Lethbridge and the surrounding area, meaning that they did not have reliable access to a family doctor. This represents just under one-quarter of the area’s entire population.

Updated numbers on unattached patients were not provided at this week’s presentation.

The other aspect to this week’s SPC meeting was to have the committee recommend a series of actions that city council could take to recruit, retain, and train more doctors.

This includes funding for a marketing plan, advocating to Alberta’s health minister to create an academic teaching clinic, and exploring partnerships that could lead to more family medical clinics opening up.

READ MORE: City committee recommends creating doctor marketing and advocacy plan

Earlier this week, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) released its latest quarterly report on physician resources in Alberta for January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022.

In the first quarter of this year, there were 276 fully registered physicians practicing in Lethbridge. This marks a decrease of 13 doctors from the previous quarter or a reduction of 4.5%.

The city has also seen a 5.8% reduction in doctors, or 17, from the same time last year.

The South Zone as a whole saw similar drops. Across the region, 31 physicians left over the last year, leaving 568 doctors remaining.

READ MORE: Nearly 1/4 in Lethbridge and area have no family doctor; Presentation