Residents in Comber are worried about finding a new doctor now that the only physician in town is retiring.
After more than 40 years, Dr. Raymond Anderson is set to retire at the end of August.
“He was also my parents’ doctor, he’s my brother’s doctor, he’s my children’s doctor,” says Beatrice Stacey, a long-time Comber resident.
Dr. Anderson has been a staple for years in the village, and residents aren’t ready to let go – or able to find a new doctor.
“I said, ‘You can’t retire.’” says Stacey. “So, I know he’s made some efforts to find doctors or a doctor to take over his practice.”
Lakeshore mayor Tom Bain, who is also a patient of Dr. Anderson, says younger physicians are typically gravitating towards practicing out of health centres instead of rural, small towns.
“Rural doctors are leaving us quickly, where I can remember Dr. Anderson making housing calls. So, that doesn’t happen anymore,” says Bain.
Bain tells CTV Windsor, work continues with Joan Maveranck, a regional physician recruiter for the area, to find a solution.
He’s hopeful those efforts will lead to something positive – if not a doctor, then maybe something else.
“One of the options we are looking at now is having people go see nurse practitioners,” says Bain.
Whatever the outcome, by hanging up the stethoscope, Dr. Anderson is closing a chapter on the town’s history and ushering in a shift in how some residents access healthcare.
“I really, truly don’t believe he can be replaced and I’ve told him that,” says Stacey. “But, we do need a replacement for him.”
