The province hired a total of 32 new physicians in the first six months of 2024, according to P.E.I.’s Department of Health and Wellness.
That number compares to 24 hires in all of 2023.
Health Minister Mark McLane said there have also been 12 doctors who’ve stopped practising in the province, for a net gain of 20 physicians.
“We’ve had some retirements, unfortunately we’ve had two physicians pass away this year …. we’ve had one transition within our system, and two resignations,” McLane said.
The new physicians have all signed contracts agreeing to come to P.E.I., and some have already started practising.
The department indicated that 18 doctors will have started by the end of July, with 10 more expected to begin by the end of the end of the year.
Three will begin in 2025, and one in 2026.
‘It’s not minus 11’
Of the 32 new hires, 11 are family physicians. McLane said they won’t all be full-time family doctors because some will also work in emergency medicine or palliative care.
“Obviously we know that primary care is a great concern and a great need that we have,” McLane said.
“We want to be very transparent and give all the details with regards to those who we hired, where we hired them, what specialty they practise in.”
