A fifth doctor has joined the medical team at the Altona Clinic.

Dr. Meriam Basta received her medical degree in Egypt and, upon arriving in Canada, completed the residency program at the University of Manitoba and is now working alongside Dr. Bashar Al-Abbasi, Dr. Wasan Sulaiman, Dr. Moheb Basta and Dr. Kyle Winning at the rural Manitoba facility.

"We're very excited to add another doctor," said Dr. Kyle Winning, adding the ideal number of physicians required to meet the needs of the community is around 5 or 6.

Particularly exciting, according to the clinic's office manager, Connie Friesen, is that Dr. Basta's arrival means the facility now boasts two female physicians for the first time in several years. She joins Dr. Wasan Sulaiman who began working at the clinic in 2018.

"There's definitely a demographic in the community that is looking for a woman as a physician and we're really pleased that we're able to offer that," said Friesen. She hopes the addition of a second female physician will encourage more women to get their regular check-ups.

Dr. Winning agrees, noting a recent assessment indicated the rate of pap tests being done in the community is quite low compared to other areas of Manitoba.

In fact, the clinic is about to embark on a campaign to close that gap. Female patients whose records show they've fallen behind on their check-ups could be getting a phone call encouraging them to make an appointment.

"We'd like to make sure that they're getting the health care that they need," explained Friesen.

And while the clinic is now operating with an ideal number of physicians, according to Dr. Winning, he says recruitment efforts remain on-going. He explains not only do more doctors help with on-call rotations, but he feels there are still quite a few people in the community that does not have a family physician.

"We'd like to try and provide them with a family physician if available," said Winning.