Nakusp about to have new doctor call village home
By Contributor
Nakusp is one of nine communities in the province in line to get a doctor, thanks to an initiative announced this spring by the provincial government and the BC Medical Association.
“It is great news that nine physicians have been hired as a result of this incentive to better support the health of rural families,” said Health Minister Terry Lake.
“I have seen first-hand in Clearwater what a positive impact this program has had in supporting rural health care and increasing the resiliency of smaller communities.”
The Rural Physicians for British Columbia incentive provides recruited doctors with a one-time payment of $100,000 when they commit to a three-year return of service in a designated rural community.
A total of 17 communities are eligible for the funding and almost half of these communities now have at least one new doctor.
Other communities benefiting from the new doctors are Terrace, Chetwynd, Bella Coola, Hazelton, Clearwater, Princeton and Port Hardy.
The doctors come from various locations and are at different stages in their professional careers ranging from relatively new physicians to others that have been practicing for over a decade.
Of the new physicians, eight are general practitioners and one is a specialist in anaesthesiology.
