Moncton's Dumont hospital loses another specialist with geriatrician departure

Another doctor is leavingthe Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton.

The latest departure is ageriatrician, according to a spokesperson for the Vitalit Health Network who confirmed the news to Radio-Canada.

Thomas Lizotte said the departurewas expected, and measures are in place to reduce the impact on patients.

"The patient's health and safety remain our priority and none of them will be left behind," he said in an emailed statement.

Lizotte said Vitalit does not know how many patients will be impacted by the situation yet.

"We are in the process of distributing the files of the different patients affected by the departure of one geriatrician scheduled for early September," he said.

The hospital is also losing four oncologists. One resigned last summer, two announced they would be leaving at the end of July, and another recently announced his resignation.

• Vitalit Health Network losing two oncology specialists in July

The loss of the geriatrician will be especially felt at the hospital because although the province has 13 geriatricians on staff, according to the New Brunswick College of Physicians website only two work for Vitalit.

The news comes as more people in the province are looking for family doctors.

Last week the province announced 23,000 more people had joined the Patient Connect New Brunswick list since November, bringing the total to about 63,000, roughly the population of Fredericton.

The province has also recently received criticism about their efforts, or lack thereof, to recruit new doctors to the province.