The NDP’s Health Critic says while new incentives for rural doctors are a “small step” towards improving the provinces relationship with doctors, there’s still more work that needs to be done.
David Shepherd was on the Trending 55 Hot Seat and says there are some questions about how quickly this can address current doctor shortages in Northern Alberta.
“It’s unfortunate that in putting together this program, the government didn’t actually even bother to consult with the rural physicians section of the Alberta Medical Association. They have a lot of expertise and folks there that know how to get doctors into communities and where the needs are. Certainly it’s going to be challenging as we come out of this pandemic, a situation that I think many would say that the government has made far worse.”
Shepherd says the government needs to be “working collaboratively” with doctors to regain their trust.
“They really need to be truly collaborative and it’s pretty clear in this case that they weren’t. I am concerned that we are seeing them continue to prioritize what looks politically good for them over doing what’s actually going to be good for Albertans to make sure that particularly in the rural areas, they have access to the care they need.”
Shepherd was this week’s guest from the NDP on the Trending 55 Hot Seat, you can hear the full discussion below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
