Liberal doctor promise broken, says Crane

With another doctor leaving P.E.I. the Liberal government's promise of a family doctor for all appears to be broken, says Opposition leader Olive Crane.

Souris doctor David Morgan announced this week he would close his practice after Health PEI told him he could no longer work on contract. That placed another 1,100 people on the patient registry looking for a doctor, bringing the total to close to 10,000.

Crane said Premier Robert Ghiz is a long way from fulfilling his promise of a doctor for every Islander made in the 2007 election campaign, and he needs to stand up and take responsibility for it.

"You see Robert Ghiz and [Health Minister] Carolyn Bertram when they're announcing residency programs or announcing investment in healthcare," said Crane.

"When there's an issue or a problem, instead it's pushed onto Health PEI."

Crane said the government seems to have created a climate that's almost anti-physician over work agreements.

Morgan was one of 26 contract doctors told they would have to switch to either a fee-for-service or a salaried position. Health PEI said the Canada Revenue Agency had flagged its doctor contracts as a problem, because contract doctors weren't paying as much tax as other doctors in the province.

Health PEI says it is reconsidering that demand.

Whatever the final decision, Morgan said he has decided to leave, and he will stop seeing patients at the end of the month.