The Manitoba government has successfully attracted 137 doctors to practice across the province since 2024, according to official sources. Premier Wab Kinew highlighted that these doctors have been recruited from various regions globally, including the United Kingdom and other parts of Canada. Notably, 18 of the recently recruited physicians have been brought in by the Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office to serve in the Prairie Mountain Health region.
During a press conference at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, Premier Kinew emphasized the diverse roles these doctors are undertaking in Brandon, including working as surgeons, family physicians, and in emergency rooms. One of the doctors, Dr. Arleigh Trainor, shared her positive experience of returning to Manitoba, describing it as a “homecoming” due to the warm reception from the community.
Looking ahead, Prairie Mountain Health’s CEO, Treena Slate, anticipates welcoming six additional specialists to the region within the next six months. The government disclosed that out of the total 137 recruits, 81 are practicing family medicine, while others specialize in fields such as emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, pathology, diagnostic imaging, and pediatrics.
Moreover, the recruitment efforts included attracting 52 doctors from the U.K. and 42 from different parts of Canada. Doctors Manitoba raised concerns about physician retention in the province, citing an increase in doctors leaving practice compared to previous years, particularly in western Manitoba. Despite the progress in recruiting more physicians, Doctors Manitoba highlighted ongoing shortages, especially in rural areas and among specialists.
Commenting on the situation, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara affirmed the government’s commitment to further doctor recruitment efforts. The province aims to build on its successes and address the challenges of physician retention to ensure a stable healthcare workforce for the community. This recent development is separate from the recent announcement about utilizing $6 million in federal funding to hire up to 90 internationally trained doctors by 2029, as per the government’s earlier statement.