Manitoba has been plagued by a shortage of physicians, particularly in rural areas, and the fact that it cut enrolment at its medical school in the early 1990s didn't help matters. Health Minister Dave Chomiak said the province will restore enrolment to 85 first-year medical students, the pre-cutback level; first-year enrolment currently stands at 70 students.

To address shortages in rural and Northern areas, 15 new residency slots will be added this July, 9 of which will be dedicated to training family physicians for rural practice. As well, 5 residency positions will be created to provide rural physicians with advanced skills training.

Chomiak said the Manitoba Rural Physician Action Plan will result in 53 new residency positions being filled by 2006. "We are cautiously optimistic that this plan, with its rural focus, is a promising step in the right direction," said Manitoba Medical Association President Lorraine Hilderman. "At the same time, we hope it's not the full extent of the government's strategy for ensuring there are enough physicians wherever they are needed.

"Retention is the key," she cautioned. "Once these new physicians are ready to practise, the challenge is to keep them here." (Up to two-thirds of Manitoba-trained physicians now leave the province after residency.)

The rural recruitment and retention plan also includes an increase in the number of medical students from rural areas and expanded rural training programs for residents in family medicine and medical specialties.

The announcements came as the Ministry of Health and Manitoba College of Family Physicians were wrangling about the need for more family physicians in Winnipeg. In December, the college said that only 9 of the city's 545 family doctors were accepting new patients, while Manitoba Health put the number at 169. A spokesperson for Manitoba Health said the figures differ because "the college does not represent all the doctors in Winnipeg or Manitoba."