Scott Crabbe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 09/00) - The head of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) says concerns over a shortage of doctors in the North isn't surprising, considering the crisis facing the Canadian medical system as a whole.

Dr. Hugh Scully was in Yellowknife last weekend to address members of the NWT Medical Association.

"It's nice to see such a good turnout of doctors here," Scully, a Toronto cardiac surgeon, told those gathered at Saturday's meeting.

"You would never see half of Ontario's 22,000 (general practitioners) in one room like this."

Continued advocacy for accessible health care and a stronger focus on the physician shortage were among some of the topics discussed by Dr. Scully.

"We have all experienced the disruption caused by health reform policies," Dr. Scully said.

"Physicians and other health professionals are coping with increased stress and pressure."

Scully noted the growing waiting lists for health-care services, including surgery, specialists and frontline care through family physicians, is a direct result of funding cutbacks.

In recent weeks the CMA has been meeting with Health Minister Allan Rock and Finance Minister Paul Martin over the dire need for the government to re-invest in the health care system.

Scully said, after consulting with provincial and territorial leaders, the CMA is urging Ottawa to restore Canada Health and Social Transfer funding. He said recent federal suggestions that Ottawa might set up additional programs without first attending to the underfunding of core health care programs is unacceptable.

NWT Health Minister Jane Groenewegen, who was also at the meeting, further discussed cutback issues on a territorial level.

"I have a new cause and it's a cause I'm looking forward to," she said.

"I find the problems (facing the medical profession) easy to absorb because they are so interesting."

She expressed concern with the acute shortage of physicians and with the challenge of keeping doctors in the North.

"Finding physicians to come North is one challenge," Groenewegen said.

"Keeping them here is another."

Groenewegen said they are currently looking at the possible implementation of a co-ordinated unified approach to contract negotiations. Presently physicians' contracts are negotiated on an individual basis between groups of physicians and their regional health board.

She said by co-ordinating contract negotiations between physicians, all the regional health boards and the Department of Health would create a "fair playing field," and a unified salary for physicians.