Manitoba sees jump in physicians, Southern Health also sees increase

Doctors Manitoba has announced an increase in the number of physicians in the province, which translated to an increase in the number of physicians in the Southern Health region.

“This is a good news story,” said Doctors Manitoba president Dr. Randy Guzman. “Last year, Manitoba recorded a net gain of 133 doctors this is a new record and eclipses the previous team mark of 83 doctors in a single year.”

Between May 1, 2023, and April 30, 2024, Manitoba recorded 3,334 physicians working in the province. When compared to per capita, the number of physicians rose by two percent per year which was the biggest increase among all provinces.

“This means that Manitoba has a shortage of 346 doctors. Still a major shortage but a significant improvement of last year’s report of 445 doctors. This positive news suggests that Manitoba maybe turning the corner.

“This is one point in time and although it’s positive news we have to see multiple years of improvement to make sure that this is a positive trend and step in the right direction,” said Guzman.

Locally, Southern Health reported an increase of 20 doctors compared to last year bringing the total to 249 doctors practicing in the region.

A spokesperson said that “recruitment efforts for physicians and all health care professions across the region are ongoing. Southern Health-Santé Sud continues to work in partnership with the province on these efforts.”

Ways Southern Health is recruiting doctors is in the form of advertisements, social media posts, presentations to medical students and residents, and attending career fairs. The spokesperson wouldn’t say what Southern Health is doing to retain doctors.

Despite the recent increase in the number of physicians, over the last 20 years, Manitoba had the lowest growth in physicians per capita across the country.

“Our analysis finds concerning risks when it comes to our physician workforce. Manitoba still ranks second last…now we remain second worst for four years in a row, last in family physicians, third last in specialists. Those are still concerning statistics,” said Guzman.

Earlier this year, Doctor’s Manitoba’s annual physician survey found that 46 percent of doctors were thinking of reducing their hours, moving to another province to practice, or retiring over the next three years. That translates into a loss of 680 doctors or about 20 percent of the total pool of physicians in Manitoba.

Ways to retain doctors includes expanding medical training, reducing burn-out, and in particular, signing a historic new funding agreement for doctors during the last year. Progress on expanding team-based care physician practices, supporting physicians in Manitoba through recruitment efforts, and focusing on recruitment and retention for small specialty groups for communities struggling with chronic shortages.