Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 25/02) - There are fears a mass exodus of health-care staff may be on the horizon.

Doctors and nurses say they are overworked and frustrated with the lack of support and recognition they are receiving from the territorial government.

Dr. Ken Seethram, president of the NWT medical association, said the entire health-care system in Yellowknife is under pressure.

"It's all inter-connected. I cannot practise medicine without my nurses and they can't practise without us. Certainly we feel impacted greatly with the high nursing shortages," said Seethram.

The problems at Stanton Territorial Hospital have combined to create one of the lowest levels of physician morale there has ever been in Yellowknife, according to Dr. Angela Carruthers.

"The biggest impact, if the morale continues where it is and physicians continue to be overworked, (is) there is a lot of incentive to go elsewhere," she said.

Nurses voices strangled

Nurses, under their collective agreement, can be fired if they are viewed to be speaking against their employer.

Privately, most nurses say the solution is more money. There has been review after review and the nursing staff are blaming the financial management board and the health minister for the issues that have resulted in what is being called a crisis by health-care professionals.

One nurse did speak publicly at the Wednesday meeting.

"What makes me really sad as a nurse is I go home and feel I haven't given quality care," obstetrics nurse Maggie Jacobs.