As the waitlist for primary care providers continues to grow in Nova Scotia, there are many internationally educated doctors who are waiting to practice.
According to Immigration Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), there are currently 100 immigrant doctors who are already permanent residents, however, their medical qualifications are hardly recognized.
On Tuesday, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health Michelle Thompson said her department is currently looking into ways to streamline the process for nurses and doctors who have been trained outside of the country to receive their licensing.
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“We know we’re never going to be able to grow the workforce we need right now. We have a significant gap and immigration is going to be an important part of that.”
According to data released earlier this week, the number of Nova Scotians waiting for a family doctor has increased 4.6 per cent in less than a year. In September, 2021 there were 75,000 on the list – that number has since grown to 105,000.
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Thompson says her government is looking at ways to maintain credentialing and that they are committed to understanding how to move forward with the process.
“I don’t anticipate this is going to be work that is going to take us five or six years.”
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