PRHA Media Release |

The Parkland Regional Health Authority (PRHA) continues to make strides in ongoing physician recruitment efforts. The PRHA has successfully recruited another International Medical Graduate (IMG) to the community of Swan River.

The new physician, Dr. Sam Mikhaiel, is just finalizing his provincial assessment and medical licensure requirements and should be in a position to begin practice in Swan River in June.

PRHA Chief Executive Officer Kevin McKnight says the PRHA, through its regional physician recruitment committee, has worked extremely hard over the past two years to fill vacancies in its rural centres.

“A few years ago we made a concentrated effort to identify-and problem-solve- our physician recruitment challenges with our municipal leaders and stakeholders. As a result of this collaborative effort, we have been able to successfully recruit three new doctors to Parkland in the past five months,” McKnight stated.

Two other IMG physicians, Dr. Wagdi Salib and Dr. Jaswinder Kanwal, recently commenced practice in Swan River and Grandview respectively.

The PRHA have been active participants in the Provincial Medical Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). The ‘IMG Program’ assists foreign-trained physicians to obtain medical licensure and be able to practice as primary care physicians in Manitoba.

The PRHA has sponsored three more IMG’s in an upcoming round of training. They require a year of assessment training-meaning they won’t be completed until March 2013.