A significant number of people in Steinbach and area are still looking for a family doctor. Dr. Denis Fortier, Vice-President of Medical Services for Southern Health, says it is an ongoing challenge to find enough physicians.

"There continues to be a gap between supply and demand in Steinbach. There continues to be people waiting for physicians and not quite enough physicians to meet the demand."

Dr. Fortier says according to the provincial 'Family Doctor Finder' registry for Steinbach, about 1,700 people are waiting for a family doctor. He adds this does not include people who have called directly to the clinics but have not registered with Family Doctor Finder. Fortier explains how many doctors it would take to alleviate the shortage here.

"If we're looking at a full-service family physician, we'd probably need somewhere in the order of two physicians, maybe two-and-a-half, just to clear up that 1,700 patient gap."

Tomorrow, Dr. Fortier will outline encouraging signs in the training and recruiting of new doctors.