Seven International Doctors Commit to Serve Rural Manitoba Communities

Seven internationally trained doctors have signed return-of-service agreements that will see them work in six rural communities in southwestern Manitoba. This initiative addresses a pressing shortage of family physicians in the region, specifically targeting areas such as Killarney, Minnedosa, Ste. Rose, Russell, Rossburn, and Shoal Lake. The physicians are set to begin their practice in the fall, according to Tamara Kemp-Boulet, the physician recruitment and retention co-ordinator for Prairie Mountain Health.

The agreement binds these doctors to serve the communities for four years. Among the newly recruited physicians are husband and wife team, Shamsudeen and Olamide Usman. They will begin their practice at the Tri-Lake Health Centre in Killarney this August after completing a one-year training program at the University of Manitoba.

During their training, the Usmans gained valuable experience working at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, which helped them understand the nuances of providing patient-centered care in rural settings. “It was an eye-opener,” Shamsudeen noted, emphasizing the personal connections that physicians can build with patients in smaller communities.

After evaluating several options, the Usmans chose Killarney as their preferred location. Olamide expressed her enthusiasm about the community, stating, “It was recently renovated, and it makes it look brand new, and it’s so well equipped.” Their family, which includes three children, has already visited the area several times and feels welcomed by the local residents.

Kemp-Boulet mentioned that the international medical graduates program receives over 1,000 applications annually, but only around 30 are accepted. Typically, Prairie Mountain Health places between seven to eight graduates in rural areas each year.

The other newly recruited doctors include Karen Aquino and Moazzam Raza, who will be based in Minnedosa, Saleema Arif in Ste. Rose, Porimol Debnath in Russell, and Ana Hernandez in Rossburn and Shoal Lake. These communities were identified as experiencing a shortage of doctors as early as November last year, and recruitment efforts are ongoing in other regions of Westman.

Killarney Turtle-Mountain Mayor Janice Smith expressed her delight at the arrival of the new doctors, stating that their presence will ensure that every family in the area has access to a physician. “Our doctors have been really wonderful at taking care of the community, but this will alleviate some stress on them,” she added.

In recent years, Killarney has faced significant challenges in recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals. The Tri-Lake Health Centre, once down to a single physician, temporarily closed its emergency department for 24 hours over the Christmas holiday due to staff shortages.

The municipality, which has a population of approximately 3,650, currently relies on locum physician coverage from neighboring towns until the Usmans arrive. Mayor Smith encourages other Westman communities to persist in their recruitment efforts to ensure adequate healthcare for residents.

Minnedosa’s Mayor Ken Cameron welcomed the additional doctors, noting that their inclusion will increase the number of physicians at the Minnedosa Health Centre to six. “There’s always a need to have more, but for us, adding two is huge,” he said, highlighting the positive impact on patient care in the area.

The challenges of recruiting healthcare professionals are not unique to Killarney and Minnedosa. Doctors Manitoba President Nichelle Desilets acknowledged the new physicians as a significant addition to southwestern Manitoba’s healthcare landscape. She noted, “This is great news to cap off what’s turned into a record-breaking year for doctor recruitment.”

Despite the positive developments, Desilets emphasized the need for improved retention rates, highlighting that Manitoba ranks poorly in retaining physicians compared to other provinces. According to a report by Doctors Manitoba, the province lost 8.3 physicians per 1,000 to other regions in 2024, a statistic that underscores the ongoing challenges in the healthcare sector.

As these new physicians prepare to integrate into their respective communities, the hope is that their commitment will not only address immediate healthcare needs but also contribute to a more stable and sustainable healthcare environment in southwestern Manitoba.