The District of Digby and the District of Clare plan to join forces to attract more doctors to Weymouth.
The two municipal councils met Monday, June 18 in Seabrook to discuss issues of common concern, including doctor recruitment.
“Clare is close to being in the fortunate situation of having their facility full with doctors,” says Randall Amero, the Digby District councilor for Weymouth and area. “They want to continue recruiting and we desperately need doctors for our clinic.”
The Weymouth Medical Centre currently only has Dr. Donald Westby working there.
“He desperately needs help,” says Amero. “One doctor just can’t serve the whole population. There are too many patients and not enough hours in a day.”
Amero says Clare has done “a fantastic job” of recruiting and he hopes by working with Clare the people of Weymouth can learn some of the secrets of their success.
Jean Melanson, warden of Clare explained at the joint council meeting in June that some local medical students who had hoped to return to practice at home are getting worried there won’t be room for them in the Clare clinic.
‘We want to keep recruiting though because if even one doctor leaves, it creates a crisis,” he told the meeting. “If we could place them in Weymouth or Argyle then at least we are keeping them nearby.”
The two councils agreed to create a joint task force to focus on finding doctors for the Weymouth clinic.
jriley@digbycourier.ca
