RAINY RIVER — Riverside Health Care stated that the new locum physician contracts will begin on Oct. 1 and last until Nov. 22.
The announcement comes weeks after three physicians withdrew their services from the Rainy River Health Centre.
“We're pretty happy and it's kind of made people take a little breath of relief too,” Mayor Deborah Ewald told Newswatch.
She stated the deal will provide the municipality and healthcare centre a little more time to try and “find a more permanent solution.”
“We were just notified earlier this year from the Ministry that we have four and a half doctors slated for the community here.
"We're hoping that we can attract doctors to look after both the clinic and the emergency room because the clinic provides the primary care and then we have a long-term care home here in the hospital as well,” said Ewald.
Ewald admits the work at the clinic and the hospital is steady.
Riverside Healthcare not only services people within Rainy River but also people living in the Municipality of Dawson and Lake of the Woods area.
She stated one of the reasons the previous locum doctors decided to leave Riverside was the long shift work.
Each of the doctors was required by the ministry to work one seven-day schedule and one 24-hour shift covering the clinic, the hospital, and the emergency department.
“Quite frankly, I think they were just a little burnt out because that's a pretty intense schedule and none of them really lived here,” said Ewald.
She stated that the locum has a residence near the hospital; however, the municipality and Riverside will need to look into more incentives to attract a permanent doctor.
“We're open to whatever it takes,” Ewald said.
