Hay River’s medical clinic could see reduced hours throughout the summer as the town deals with a shortage of doctors.
For the week of June 24th to 28th, the town is experiencing a shortage of both doctors and nurse practitioners. Booked appointments are not available at the medical clinic and walk-in appointments are limited. Residents can refill their prescriptions Saturday, June 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the health centre.
The Hay River Health and Social Services Authority says the summer months of July and August are a particularly challenging time to get a full staff of doctors working in town. The authority already dealt with a shortage of doctors in May – the clinic’s hours were reduced for three weeks as a result.
CEO of the health authority Erin Griffiths says the medical clinic’s hours might be impacted, but all other services will continue as usual. She added the authority is working to attract and recruit both doctors and nurse practitioners to Hay River, by reaching out to previous and current locums for help, advertising, ‘providing a competitive compensation package’ and drafting a recruitment strategy.
To keep updated about how the shortage will impact them, residents can check the health centre’s Facebook page, website or the Hay River Hub newspaper. They can also call 875-7263 for updates.
