According to The Toronto Star, more than 2.5 million people in Ontario do not currently have a family doctor, and in the upcoming years, that number is expected to increase to four million.
The 500 available slots were taken within hours by the new Walkerton practitioner, who was taking patients on a first-come, first-served basis. For years, many people in line had been without a family physician. The queue started to develop at 2 am despite the snow and the bitter weather, and some people waited for over six hours before the doors opened at 10 am.
NEW doctor IN, ANOTHER EXPECTED BY YEAR-END
500 spots were up for grabs, according to Dr. Mitchell Currie, a Walkerton native who came back to start a family practice.
People in dire need of primary care flocked to the South Bruce Grey health Centre in Walkerton, which services Chesley, Durham, Kincardine, and Walkerton after they posted about the sign-up event on social media last week.
While 500 more names were placed in a queue for another new physician anticipated later this year, the spots were promptly filled.
"My kids haven't had a doctor since they were pulled out of the womb," Matthew Fountain, who arrived at the Legion and got a chance to enrol in the patient list told The Star.
"After being without a family doctor for eight years, now I get my name on the list of the family doctor," another Canadian citizen, Will Patterson, told The Star.
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