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Internationally educated health-care workers finding it difficult to practise in Nova Scotia

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There are a number of doctors and health care staff who recently arrived from Ukraine --- workers the Nova Scotia health-care system desperately needs.

But it seems getting credentials to practice in the province is proving to be a frustrating feat.

That’s why Dr. Aliks Shamlat finds himself at a career crossroads.

“Many people advised me to search for other work, but I am more than 50, I have many experiences in my life,” Dr. Shamlat says.

Most of the experiences he's talking about come from years of working as a general practitioner and gynecologist in Odessa, Ukraine.

He and his family landed in Halifax on June 23 after fleeing the Russian invasion. He was hopeful that a program run by the province to integrate Ukrainian health-care workers into its system would allow him to practice here, but he says he hasn't been getting the help he needs to become a part of the health-care industry.

“We can work, why not? We can work very hard. I’m thinking we can go to another job in the hospital. Not exactly like a doctor, maybe an assistant of the doctor, maybe an assistant for the laboratory, anything,” he says.

It’s those barriers and red tape facing health experts with international degrees that the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party wants removed.

“We’ve got over 200 medical professionals here from Ukraine that I’ve heard are ready to work and eager to get going. We really do have to simplify the certification process without jeopardizing standards,” Zach Churchill says.

The standards Churchill refers to are the same ones Schamalat says he’s trying to reach.

“I asked, maybe I will go to some courses in Canada (to) improve in my level of experience or knowledge, but they don’t want (me to),” says Dr. Shamlat.

Data released by the province shows 4,300 people found a family practice last month. However, 5,500 people added their names to the registry looking for a doctor, an increase of 4.6 per cent. As of August 1, more than 105,000 Nova Scotians are on the registry, without a family doctor.

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