(Y95 News photo)
The Yarmouth Regional Hospital will soon have just one anesthesiologist at the end of next month.
While a new permanent specialist recently arrived in the community, shortly after that, Dr. Husam Nashnoush informed the hospital he’s leaving in August leaving one permanent anesthesiologist. Yarmouth Regional is supposed to have four.
Dr. Cheryl Pugh with the Nova Scotia Health Authority says this province is not alone in facing recruitment difficulties.
“This is a shortage which is affecting all the provinces. We’re actively recruiting for for all three regional hospitals in our zone (Western) and there are actually openings across the province for anesthesia.”
She says they’ve found temporary coverage until the end of July and scheduling for August is nearly complete. There are calls for the use of family practice anesthetists where a family doctor completes a one-year training program to certify in anesthesiology from the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Pugh says that’s something that the Health authority is actually investigating and exploring as an option at this time.
“But I don’t have any of those details to share and can’t really make any further comment other than it is being looked at.”
In April, pregnant women were warned they may not be able to deliver babies in their community if there isn’t coverage, but Dr.Pugh says that is not the case right now.
“We are suggesting that patients continue to receive care where they presently are. We’re not suggesting any changes at this point in time but we will definitely be actively advising people if there are any changes.”
Meanwhile the MLA for Argyle-Barrington says the situation must be dealt with by the province.
Chris d’Entremont says the Health Authority and local doctor recruitment committee is always working from a deficit position.
“I don’t think the province id doing anything. I think they’ve dumped their responsibilities on these local committees or local municipalities to do the work in recruiting and I think that is unacceptable. There has to be a concerted effort, there has to be some kind of incentive and there has to be a recognition that taxation is this province i difficult and it make us noncompetitive.”
