It isn’t a new story, nor is Williams Lake the only community affected, but right now the Stampede City is facing a health care crisis when it comes to doctor’s or more accurately, the lack of doctors.
Williams Lake has no doctors taking new clients and even what was a walk in clinic being operated by a nurse practitioner and nursing students at Thompson Rivers University is now booking appointments into February.
Local MLA and the Minister of State for Rural Economic Development Donna Barnett, says everyone connected to the health care system is trying to find new physicians for the city saying “I can honestly tell you that everybody in the health care system, from doctors to division of practice, to the ministry to local governments are all out looking for doctors.”
There are rumors circulating that January could see one to three new doctors for the area.
It is estimated that as many as five thousand people in the region do not have a family doctor.