Recruitment funds at risk

Two new family doctors for Sarnia were introduced Tuesday by officials with the local physician recruitment taskforce.

That's good news for a community that is officially designated as underserviced and still requires 19 family physicians.

But taskforce chairman Ron Prior said he is concerned the organization will soon lose its provincial funding.

The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is setting new guidelines for underserviced areas of the province and, if they are adopted, Sarnia-Lambton will lose its underserviced status and its funding, he said.

"It's just a way for the provincial government to save money after this absurd situation with e-health," said Prior. "It's a concern because it will aff ect our ability to bring doctors here."

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