A new Retention and Recruitment office intended to bring more medical professionals to Manitoba and keep existing ones here has brought 18 physicians to the Prairie Mountain Health Region since 2024, according to the provincial government.
In a release, Premier Wab Kinew and Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara said these 18 physicians were part of a total of 137 brought to the province by the Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office. The office was created as part of the 2024 budget.
“The previous government cut funding for physician recruitment and retention, while spending millions on an overseas recruitment effort that fell short of its promises,” said Kinew. “We took a different approach, establishing a dedicated recruitment office in our first year and we are seeing the impact here in Westman with 18 new doctors working in Prairie Mountain Health. We are building momentum and we are not slowing down. We will keep recruiting, supporting and retaining doctors to build a stronger public health-care system for Manitobans.”
“Recruiting 137 new doctors is an important milestone, but our work doesn’t stop at getting physicians to Manitoba. We are making sure they have the support they need to build their careers, settle into their communities and thrive here,” said Asagwara. “From navigating licensing and immigration to finding the right opportunities, our recruitment team works directly with physicians, so no one falls through the cracks. We are focused on bringing more doctors to Manitoba, keeping them here and making sure patients can get the care they need, closer to home.”
According to the release, 81 of the 137 new recruits practice family medicine, while others specialize in emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, pathology, diagnostic imaging and pediatrics. 52 of these physicians have come from the United Kingdom, while a further 42 have relocated from elsewhere in Canada.
“Recruiting physicians takes tremendous behind-the-scenes work at the provincial, regional and community levels,” said Treena Slate, CEO, Prairie Mountain Health. “We are grateful for the opportunity to highlight that work and, more importantly, recognize partnerships, including the Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office, that help us make progress and continue momentum.”
Asagwara added October 2023, the Manitoba government has added 4,725 net new health-care workers, including 370 doctors.
