Physiotherapist shortage west of Summerside

Health officials in western P.E.I. are trying to address a serious lack of physiotherapy services in the area.

The province has allocated 2.8 publically funded physiotherapist positions for West Prince, but all those positions are currently vacant.

Andrew MacDougall, administrator of Western Hospital and Maplewood Manor in Alberton, said the shortage can cause problems for people needing in-patient care.

"It affects the patients that we can accept, for example, from transfer from other facilities, those that could be coming back or convalescing from injuries, or may be returning back to the facility from various post operative procedures," said MacDougall.

"For patients on an outpatient basis and the general public, what it means at this point in time is probably a greater commute, because folks can still access physiotherapy services, but it would be at Summerside."

MacDougall said an active recruitment campaign is underway, but the shortage is being felt across the country.

A physiotherapist paid a visit to Western Hospital on the weekend to check out the facilities. MacDougall is hoping that person will be interested in working there.

Health officials are also trying to recruit physiotherapists to come to work in the area on short-term temporary stints, similar to locum work for doctors.

MacDougall says there is at least one private physiotherapist working in western P.E.I.