“We understand this will cause concern for those residents of Digby and area who do not have a family physician and I share their concern,” said Digby General Hospital site manager Judy LeBlanc last week.
She said the doctor opted out of opening a practice here two weeks ago, due to personal reasons, although he had signed a contract.
About 500 people had signed up to be on Le’s patient list.
“There were many people in the community who were expecting to become a patient of this doctor and, unfortunately, they will now how to find another option,” LeBlanc said.
“We deeply regret the inconvenience and concern this will cause everyone.”
However a nurse practitioner arrived last week and will start seeing patients shortly.
Leaving people without primary health care means a lot of those people are going to have to go to the emergency department, which has regular closures, said LeBlanc.
There are three doctors at the Digby General Hospital, but one, Dr. Ron Matsusaki, only covers the emergency department. Matsusaki does not have a general practice.
The hospital does have funding to hire a second nurse practitioner. There is one coming for a site visit in October and LeBlanc is hoping to recruit her.
She suspects the earliest they could get another physician is January or later because it takes time to set up a practice.
“We continue with recruitment efforts,” LeBlanc said. “I don’t know how many ways to say I regret it came to this.”
ldelong@digbycourier.ca
Doctor backs out of Digby
- Published on September 17th, 2009
- Published on January 31st, 2010
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Leanne Delong/Digby
Physician cites ‘personal reasons’ to abandon new practice, leaves 500 in lurch
Dr. Luan Le, who was scheduled to arrive in Digby this month, will no longer open his practice in the area leaving those on his patient list without a doctor.
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