Heather Wright/The Independent

The head of the Sarnia-Lambton Ontario Health team says more doctors and health professionals will be hired to make sure 5,600 people have health care, thanks to an additional $2.8 million from the province.

Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey announced the funding April 30 saying both the Rapids Family Health Team and the new E-nangaabe-jig Health Services have received funding to connect more people to care.

The two organizations were among 124 health teams receiving funding from the province. 

Nadine Neve of the local Ontario Health team says right now 13,600 people in Lambton don’t have a family doctor or a health team.

While Neve wasn’t able to reveal the plans to expand services in Lambton until Ontario Health gives the final approval, she did say more health professionals, including family doctors will be hired to meet Lambton’s needs.

Neve says the recently organized E-nangaabe-jig Health Services has been providing some services in the Lambton Indigenous communities already. The $1,013,300 in new government funding should help serve about 760 people.

“We’ve already been working quite closely with those communities through the Indigenous communities Advisory Council, and work that is already underway under the an ongoing health services organization and brand,” Neve said.

The Rapids health team will receive just over $1.86 million to provide care to another 4,900 people. 

Neve says it will likely take a year to complete.

She adds people without care will be asked to access the new services through Health Care Connect. 

“Call health 811, they can get you on that list, and there’s a health care connector that oversees that list and works locally with a number of the physicians and primary care teams and nurse practitioners that are taking on patients,” she says there are some spots available now, even though the new money has not yet made it to Lambton.

The provincial government has been working on connecting more people to family doctors saying nearly 330,000 people have been connected to care in the last year.

“Our goal is to connect everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029,” said Bailey in a news release.

“I am extremely proud of the work happening in our community to ensure everyone has access to the care they need, where and when they need it,” he added.