Manitoba

Posted: March 29, 2023

Samantha Farrell says the emergency department in Steinbachhas effectively become her doctor's office.

Without a family doctor orthe means totravel to Winnipeg, she only gets medical care when she cannot wait any longer.

Since losing her family doctor in 2020, Farrell has gone to the ER in the southeastern Manitoba citythree times to cope with ovarian cyst pain, including last month, when a cystruptured.

"It really shouldn't be that way," she said. "I mean, Steinbach's considered a city why don't we have a doctor, or many?"

There are about10 physician vacancies in the Steinbach area, and3,500 people arelooking for adoctor through the province's family doctor finder program, according toSouthern Health, the regional health authority that covers the area.

People in the Steinbach region who register for that program are being informedthat there are no physicians accepting patients in their area, Southern Health confirmed in a statement.

Steinbach's populationis nearly 18,000 people, according to 2021 census data up by1,800 people from the 2016 census. Thousandsmorelive in surroundingcommunities.

Farrell said it's frustrating theemergency department at Steinbach's Bethesda Hospital has become her only choice.

"I shouldn't have had to go to the ER for a ruptured cyst. It never should have happened. And hereI'm a stress on the ER department that has a waiting room full of people," she said.

"All they can do for me is book me for an ultrasound later,get me some painkillers and send me home with a list of, 'If this happens, come back.'"

Farrell saidhaving a doctor who could provide her with routine preventative medical treatment, like Pap smears or blood work, might help her avoid future medical problems.But she's been told family physicians in Steinbach cannot accept any more patients.

Same-day appointments at a clinic, if you can get them, aren't sufficient because doctors will try to book herfor routine testsin Winnipeg, Farrell said a roughly 60-kilometre drive.

She doesn't have a vehicle and there's no bus option.Taxi fare would be around $150, she said.

"That's money a single mom like me doesn't necessarily have,"said Farrell.

More people are scrambling to find a family doctor afterClearspring Medical Clinic closed its doors in the city earlier in March.

In a letter to his patients, Dr. Gordon Dyck, who practised for 35 years, said "vigorous recruitment efforts have failed to bring more doctors to the clinic."

He had only been performing administrative duties since October of last year, but is nowtaking anindefinite leave of absence.

"It is challenging to say goodbye to you, my valued patient," he wrote.

Dyck declined an interview while he remains onmedical leave.

Steinbach Family Medical lists 22 family physicians on its website. The clinic did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. There's also a provincialquick care clinic and a clinic at the Walmart in Steinbach.

Dr. Candace Bradshaw, president of Doctors Manitoba, said it'stelling a growing city ofSteinbach's sizecannot recruit enough family physicians.

"Steinbach [a]beautiful community, short commuting distance to and from Winnipeg. I can't think ofa nicer spot if you're looking for a quieter place" to practise, she said.

Two family medicine residencies in Steinbach went unfilled last week after the first round of matching graduating medical students with residency spaces across the country. Those vacancies could still be filled by internationalmedical graduates, however.

The inabilityto attract doctors to such communities is "showing that this is a problem everywhere, not just Winnipeg and not just the more urban-centred locations," said Bradshaw.

The ripple effect of physician vacancies in Steinbach is being felt in Winnipeg, she said. She's heardclinics in Winnipeg's south endhavelonger wait lists than normal.

The Manitoba government is being "out-manoeuvred" by other provinces in recruiting and retainingphysicians, Bradshaw said. Earlier this month, Saskatchewanannounced a rural and northern incentive of $200,000 over five yearsfor doctors more than four times what that province previously offered.

"You never know when another province is going to come up with a new attractive offer that depletes more of our physicians," Bradshaw said.

Aspokesperson for the Progressive Conservative government said Manitobahas added 80 physician training seats, 40 of which are set asidefor internationally educated medical students.

The spokesperson said45 physicians, along with17 physician assistants and clinical assistants, have been hired under a $200-million health-care staffing planannounced in November, which also includes financial incentives for longer clinic hours.

Those doctors are badly needed in rural areas, say patients like Ashleigh Desaulniers.

Desaulnierslives in Mitchell and travels to see a doctor in Winnipeg, but would prefer to have a physician in Steinbach just a five-minute drive to the east from her community.

She's been diagnosed withLyme disease and hasstruggled to find a doctor who can treat the range ofmedical issues she's experiencing.

She previously "did have that rapport with my doctor, but she just didn't have the time," said Desaulniers.

A couple of years ago, it reached the pointwhere she couldn't get access to her doctor anymore, she said. She had to wait six weeks to book an appointment, asher medical issues kept getting worse. Shetried withoutsuccess to book walk-in appointments.

"I would love to have a doctor out here that I can actually access, who might actually listen to me and have time for me and know who I am,"saidDesaulniers.

Meanwhile, Farrell waits for a doctor herself, but she isn't getting her hopes up. Every month, she gets an email from the province's family doctor finder service that says no progress has been made.

She's starting to treat these messageslikejunk mail, she said.

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Ian Froese Provincial Affairs Reporter

Ian Froese is a reporter for CBC Manitoba. You can reach him at ian.froese@cbc.ca.

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Lack of family doctors leads to pain, frustration for patients in Steinbach area - CBC.ca