Steinbach is getting more doctors. Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen made the announcement today, noting this is the result of a joint recruiting effort together with Southern Health. Goertzen says Southern Health is getting nine new family physicians with three of them coming to Steinbach.

"We are pleased that there are three new family doctors coming to practice in Steinbach. That's important for a lot of different reasons, obviously, the most important part is that there are still people who struggle to get a family doctor. So the more family doctors that you can have in your community or your region, that makes it easier for you if you are one of those who doesn't have a family doctor to get a family doctor."

Goertzen says the new doctors will practice at the Bethesda Primary Care Centre as part of the Steinbach Family Medical group.

Ste. Anne will get one new family doctor with the other new physicians going to communities in the western part of the region.

In addition, Goertzen says the Bethesda Regional Health Centre is getting another anesthetist, as well as three specialists, call hospitalists, doctors who are experts in taking care of people in the hospital.

Goertzen says there is still a need for more doctors in Steinbach but says this will help to ease the shortage.

"I still think that there's going to be more demand than there is supply in the short term but I hope that it's a sign that we're moving in the direction to meeting that demand. The analysis that I've seen would indicate that we'd probably need another six or seven doctors in addition to these to meet that demand and, of course, growth continues in the region. So there's more work to do for sure but it is a step in the right direction."

Dr. Mark Duerksen, president of Steinbach Family Medical, says the new doctors are taking some of the patients from their list of people waiting for a new doctor. He adds they are still working on trying to recruit more doctors.

"All of the new physicians that have started have really picked up patients from physicians who had left earlier this year so we're still not in a position where we are freely open to accept all new patients. We're continuing to work on our internal wait list. We're still looking for four or five family physicians, perhaps more, so that we can really service Steinbach and area as effectively as we can."