2006-06-20
Author: Rae Hathaway
The province has initiated significant bonuses for emergency room doctors in the last couple of weeks. It's to combat the chronic shortage of ER physicians. 

Central Regional Health Authority Medical Administrator Helmuth Klassen notes the bonuses are available to doctors at the Portage and Winkler hospitals. As a result, an internal process is taking shape to assess the long-term effects.

Klassen adds the RHA wants to be certain doctors aren't over-working in the ER, so safe health-care isn't compromised. 

He believes the bonuses will help for about a year, but points out the ER doctor shortage is significant, with contributing factors like supply and demand, lifestyle, and professional concerns about workload.