Dr Chris Kibonge brings the number of physicans in Burns Lake to four    photo courtesy Northern Health

Prince George, BC – It has been a good month for Northern Health, as the health authority works to address an ongoing shortage of doctors in rural communities.

Since the beginning of July, Northern Health has announced the recruitment of two physicians to Mackenzie, bolstering the two doctors and one nurse practitioner who have been serving the community. 

And, earlier this week, word came of three physician hirings for Fort St. James…although, the community’s lone physician – who’s being augmented by a nurse-practitioner and locums – will have to soldier on alone until October when another doctor is set to begin part-time.  Two more physicians, a husband-and-wife team from South Africa, will arrive to begin full-time work in January.

Now, Northern Health has announced the arrival of Dr. Chris Kibonge in Burns Lake, bringing the number of physicians in that community to four.  A nurse practitioner also hosts a clinic in the community two days per month.  Dr. Kibonge has spent the past 10-years working in South Africa.  He will now be working at the Burns Lake Medical Clinic and will also cover ono-call shifts for the Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre emergency department.

While an official from Northern Health was not immediately available to comment on these new hirings, NH Director of Communications, Steve Raper, told 250News earlier this spring that the region is starting to reap the benefits of the Northern Medical Program at UNBC. "Overall, we think we’ve seen improvement in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a lot of work to do to continue to increase our physician capacity in many communities." 

Raper admitted it’s a long-term strategy, as is an effort to work with some of the more challenged communities on just how primary health care services are delivered to residents.  With more gaps looming as many physicians reach retirement age, Raper said, "I think it behooves us to really look at new models of care and new ways of delivering primary health care services in partnership with the physicians in communities." 

He said Northern Health is working to ‘wrap the supports necessary around’ physicians, so they’re not run ragged in the smaller communities – an environment that is appealing rather than overwhelming to practise in.

In the shorter term, Northern Health continues to bring in locums to alleviate the challenges.