South Shore group won't stop fighting for a full-time physician
'We're just not giving up. We're not going away.'
A citizen group on P.E.I.'s South Shore wants the province to do more for health care in their area.
South Shore Health and Wellness Inc. is made up of community members from Crapaud, about 35 kilometres west of Charlottetown, and the surrounding area.
"This is all the way from Borden to Cornwall from the South Shore all the way up to Breadalbane. There's about 2,800 people here who do not have a full-time physician," said Ian Dennison, mayor of Victoria and the co-chair of South Shore Health and Wellness Inc.
Part-time staff not enough
Over the last year they've been trying to bolster health care in the area, including raising money for the construction of a new health clinic attached to the South Shore Pharmacy. The clinic is expected to open in April.
In the meantime, a temporary walk-in clinic located inside the pharmacy began operating last year after the village's only full-time physician relocated his practice to Cornwall, P.E.I.
It's been running a few days a week with part-time staff but Dennison said that's not enough.
"You do not have the continued care that is so necessary. What happens is there are gaps in the care for people and people's needs, they really start not being met," he said.
New hires not promised to specific location
The group said it's been promised a full-time nurse practitioner for Crapaud by the minister of health.
But in a statement sent to CBC, Health PEI said the province is looking to hire a doctor and a nurse practitioner for the Queens West Network, which covers the area from Crapaud to Charlottetown.
"Health PEI remains committed to permanently filling the vacant family physician position in Queens West primary care network," said Anita MacKenzie, acting director of primary care.
"Once recruited, we will work with the new physician to determine where and how they want to operate their practice."
Determined to have physician in Crapaud
Lisa Gallant of the South Shore group said they're clear in their request and want the hires to be in Crapaud.
"Those people very clearly indicated they want to receive their primary care services in Crapaud which is the geographical centre of the previous physician's practice," she said.
Dennison said the group will continue to lobby the government until it's successfully had a full-time doctor recruited to the area.
"We're just not giving up. We're not going away."
The province said it would support any recruitment efforts the group makes to bring a physician to Crapaud.