U.S. firm being paid ‘minimal’ for Manitoba’s ER doctor hunt: minister

The Manitoba government is paying a U.S. firm to help find emergency room physicians south of the border for temporary posts, largely in rural and northern communities.

Shared Health, the province’s central health planning body, has teamed up with Utah-based Global Medical Staffing, which has put up five job postings in recent days.

The postings tout Manitoba’s natural beauty, including polar bears, beluga whales and the northern lights.

Shared Health didn’t reveal how much it’s paying the American company, but Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says the amount is “minimal.”

Asagwara says temporarily getting doctors in Manitoba could lead to permanent postings and that the government is using multiple initiatives to boost the number of health care professionals.

The NDP government promised a policy last year to favour Canadian companies for contracts, but it allows for exceptions.