EDITOR:
There is an abundance of coverage of the shortage of physicians and nurses. Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs), the third largest health profession, is also suffering from shortages. There is a crisis situation nationally.
Presently at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, one lab is operating 40 per cent short of full staff. There are at least 4 permanent positions and 5 maternity leaves which have not been filled. Shortages such as these increase the stress on the current employees who have to cover extra shifts and work more week-ends.
All of the casual staff are retired employees over the age of 60. Additionally, 20 – 30 per cent of staff are eligible to retire in the next 3 - 5 years.
Two facilities offer a MLT program: N.S. Community College, Halifax, and N.B Community College, Saint John. Starting in 2003, the P.E.I. government purchased 3 seats per year at NBCC for Island students. Over 10 years, it resulted in 30 MLTs, 90 per cent of whom stayed working in P.E.I. The government then decided a recruitment and retention program would be more cost effective and we now have unfilled positions. P.E.I. students compete with the students from the host provinces for positions, who take their own students first. It is increasingly difficult for a P.E.I. student to be accepted into the programs available - there is a 3 to 4 year waiting list.
It is critical the government resume the bursary program and provide the provincial hospital laboratories with adequate staffing.
Rosalie Richard, MLT
President, P.E.I. Society
of Medical Laboratory Science
