I am all for rolling out the red carpet to attract physicians to the local area, but I think that the request, written by Dr. George Magee on behalf of the Burns Lake Medical Clinic, is over and above what should be expected.
The suggestion to purchase an apartment or home and fully furnish and maintain it, seems a little extravagant and is quite frankly beyond the realm of what is reasonable. Sure we need to attract medical professionals to the community, but I don’t think that tax payers should have to foot the bill to house them, albeit partially.
To begin with, Burns Lake already has a residence, funded by Northern Health that is available to visiting medical professionals. It is clean, inexpensive and comfortable and located on hospital grounds, so it’s a short walk to work. Sure it’s not a Hilton Hotel, but the residence is only designed to house medical professionals temporarily. After all aren’t locums temporary anyway?
If you are working as a locum I would imagine you understand that the job involves travel away from the comforts of home and there is probably compensation for the fact. If a locum wants to bring their wife, husband, children or extended family with them for the few weeks they are in town, why should tax payers have to foot the bill?
Currently there are two family practice physician jobs advertised on Northern Health’s website for the local area. The salary listed is $250,000 per year, as well as a retention premium of 23.38 per cent, a flat fee retention of $21,982, a $20,000 recruitment incentive and relocation assistance to the tune of $15,000.
As I see it, the staff residence is a great landing base for a physician who chooses to accept one of the permanent positions here. They can stay at the residence for a month or two and only pay a minimal amount of rent while they look for a home of their own and move their family here.
If the staff residence is not suitable, then like anyone else accepting a new position, or moving to a new community, they should have to find their own alternatives, and I am assuming that the $15,000 relocation allowance would help with this.
Do tax payers, local businesses and community groups really need to reach into their pockets as well? Other communities may be funding a residence, but other communities don’t have a 16 room staff residence on offer either.
Also, remember the village previously had the Marilyn House for medical professionals, which, according to council was a financial drain on the community for numerous reasons. The house was subsequently sold and the proceeds are to be used for the new hospital. Why then would council want to enter into another similar arrangement? It seems a little nonsensical to help purchase another residence, after selling one that was donated for the same purpose.
If we are in competition with other communities, then let’s compete with our wonderful community, our beautiful scenery and our endless recreation opportunities.
If that’s not good enough, then we need to come up with another idea that isn’t going to be a strain on the pockets of a taxpayer.