Doctor shortage has real-life consequences
By Lethbridge Herald on July 23, 2025.
Scott Sakatch
Herald Editor
Ever since I moved back to Lethbridge 18 months ago, I’ve been one of the thousands of people in the city without access to a local family doctor. I’m fortunate enough to still have a physician in Calgary (from when we lived there for six years), but a simple visit means a minimum five-hour round trip. I know thousands of others in Lethbridge don’t have even that, and have to rely on walk-in clinics or the emergency room for medical care.
There’s a critical shortage of physicians in rural Alberta (by which I mean outside Calgary and Edmonton) and has been for years. I’ve known this for a long time, but I didn’t have reason to really consider the depth of the crisis until recently.
About three weeks ago, my left foot began to swell. I didn’t think much of it at first (I have a heart condition so I assumed it was edema related to that). But within a few days, I’d begun to develop a fever, with accompanying chills and shakes. This finally led me to the emergency department at Chinook Regional Hospital, where I was quickly diagnosed with a serious infection that later turned out to be staphylococcus. I was admitted and spent the next two weeks in hospital, first in Lethbridge and then at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary.
In that time, I underwent three surgical procedures to remove the infection in my foot. One procedure was to remove part of the fifth metatarsal bone, which had been compromised by the infection.
I was incredibly fortunate to leave the hospital with my foot mostly intact. As I tell anyone who’ll listen, the fact that I came home with all the toes I had when I went into hospital is nothing short of a blue-eyed miracle for which I’ll be forever grateful.
But it could have been much, much worse. As a diabetic, my feet don’t heal as easily as some, and taking care of them is a major challenge. Something as simple as a blister or a wart can easily and quickly escalate into a limb-threatening condition. As the doctors at Peter Lougheed drilled home, I need to have a physician look at my feet regularly. If I’d gone to one sooner, I may have avoided the situation entirely.
Much of that responsibility is on me, since I actually have a doctor, and I accept it. But what about the thousands who don’t? Those people who don’t skip doctor visits because it’s inconvenient, but because they have no other choice? How many of them are missing necessary care? How many are suffering?
How many are dying?
This experience has been a serious wake-up call for me, but it should also be a wake-up call for every politician in Alberta. A crisis-level shortage of health care professionals isn’t a political problem, it’s an existential one. Instead of blowing up the health care system and fighting with unions, how about doing things to actually make it easier for professionals to work in Alberta and deliver the care we so desperately need?
On a final note, I’d like to thank my good friend and colleague Al Beeber for stepping in and taking on my duties while I was gone. His work ethic and generosity are next-level and I hope you all appreciate him as much as I do.
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It’s a Canada wide problem as reported by the CBC early in the 2000 years. But let’s blame Alberta.
We should blame Alberta. It’s where we live unlike the hole in the ground some do. Smith has done nothing to improve our healthcare system and, in fact, her actions have only made it worse. Hopefully not too many Albertans die waiting for her to be booted so a responsible govt can reverse her decisions and get our healthcare to a decent standard.
I am happy that you are healing! Doctor and nurse shortages are nationwide, actually North American wide as are many other shortages in other fields due to us baby boomers retiring, leaving big gaps in the workforce.
You cannot blame any government for this issue! At one point in time universities and other post secondary institutions counseled students, to find a field they would fit well into and areas that saw a need, but now they are all about making money, turning them into just another business, with no care if they get a job in the field they were trained in.
I remember over 2 decades ago hearing warnings of future shortages due to the boomers retiring, which are a large part of society.
I went for 2 years without a doctor and during that time I used virtual doctors, using zoom meetings or phone calls. Rocket Doctor is one of those services where you can get prescriptions sent to your pharmacy.
With diabetes, you need to get right on infections and other issues, even if that means going to the ER. I have watched people lose toes and even limbs by allowing infections or injuries to fester!
A pharmacist can also prescribe medications.
From my own experience, I applaud those who work at the Chinook Regional Hospital for going over and above in their efforts to provide care for us and even when going for tests, have been treated like a king!
Try to get on a list with a clinic for a physician, some do offer this!