Negative impacts: CSSSG trusteeship and no med school 

Outaouais gained 33 doctors in 2014

 

Laurent Robillard-Cardinal

Although many West Quebecers remain without a family doctor, the Collège des médecins du Québec has reported this month that the Outaouais has 649 doctors, 33 more than last year’s figures. There are 374 family physicians, 21 more than on December 31, 2013, and there are 254 medical specialists, 16 more than in 2013. The region lost four, bringing the total to 21.

 

Action Santé Outaouais applauded the news, but added, “We have physicians who will retire soon and some might leave because of the CSSS Gatineau’s trusteeship. Ontario may recruit these doctors, so our region must promote itself better,” said Jean-Charles Pichereau, of Action Santé. Pichereau believes the region needs the medical school at l’UQO to attract more doctors. “Physicians who train in a region and develop a network stay in that region,” said Pichereau. “We still have a hard time recruiting specialists.”

 

The Outaouais Health Agency’s objective is to recruit another 33 doctors in 2015. So far the agency has filled 11 positions. “We are working hard on recruitment,” said Geneviève Côté of the Agency; “last year the province told us we could recruit up to 33 family doctors and we reached our objective, as we did the year before. There’s still a demand for specialists.”

The Outaouais’ population is increasing faster than the provincial average, requiring more physicians. Estimated at 381,200 residents in 2013, the Outaouais’ population has more than 166,000 people over 45 years of age. Over 39,000 are registered with Outaouais’ one-stop access service for those without a family doctor.

 

Province-wide

 

The province itself now has 393 more physicians than last year. In total, 9,808 women and 12,744 men are practicing medicine; 13.7% practice in English. The average age of physicians is 50.3 and there are three who are 90 or older.