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Health officials say N.S. is recruiting doctors but still faces vacancy rates

Click to play video: 'Health officials say N.S. is recruiting doctors but still faces vacancy rate'
Health officials say N.S. is recruiting doctors but still faces vacancy rate
WATCH: Nova Scotia health officials say they have recruited 92 doctors since April 1 although there are still 60 vacancies left to fill across the province. Marieke Walsh joins us in studio to tell us more – Dec 13, 2017

Nova Scotia health officials say they have recruited 92 doctors since April 1 although there are still 60 vacancies left to fill in areas across the province due to issues such as retirement.

The breakdown of the new physicians who are working in the province is 26 family doctors and 66 specialists.

READ MORE: Doctors Nova Scotia surprised to find out province has a doctor recruitment strategy

Dr. Lynne Harrigan, vice-president of medicine at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, says the recruitment goal for the current fiscal year is 100 doctors including 50 family doctors and 50 specialists.

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Harrigan says there are currently 44 offers of positions for doctors who are expected to come within the year – and 11 of those offers are to family doctors.

She says while there are targets, the health authority is working to recruit as many doctors as it can by selling them on the province’s quality of life and attempts to transform the system through such things as collaborative medical practices.

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WATCH: Nova Scotians with complex health issues and no doctor left with few options

Click to play video: '‘It’s either a walk-in clinic or emergency’: Nova Scotians with complex health issues and no doctor left with few options'
‘It’s either a walk-in clinic or emergency’: Nova Scotians with complex health issues and no doctor left with few options

Officials told the legislature’s public accounts committee that 42,000 people in the province are currently actively seeking a family physician according to the provincial registry

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