HALIFAX 鈥� Nova Scotia is mounting an effort to make the often daunting process of getting medically qualified less strenuous for Ukrainian health workers who fled the war with Russia and are looking to work in the province鈥檚 health-care system.
Health Minister Michelle Thompson said Thursday work is being done to streamline the accreditation process for just over 230 Ukrainian nationals who are already in the province or who are interested in coming. The health professionals have been identified through a provincial website that records their qualifications and work experience, Thompson said.
鈥淎bout 60 per cent of those candidates are physicians, 10 per cent are nurses and 30 per cent are from other health professions,鈥� she told reporters. 鈥淎ll candidates are in various stages of the assessment process.鈥�
The province has already hired three Ukrainian nationals as community navigators 鈥� liaisons between Ukrainian newcomers and the health system. It plans to hire seven more navigators to assist with translation and with other matters such as helping newcomers obtain the proper licensing to work in Nova Scotia's health network.
One of the navigators is Olena Kudenko, a lawyer from the Black Sea port city of Odesa, who arrived in Nova Scotia in June with her husband, Alix Chamalat 鈥� a physician 鈥� and their family.
鈥淲hen the first rocket was over our head, we took a car and our children and ran away,鈥� said Kedenko, adding that her family escaped through Moldova and stayed in Bulgaria and then Germany before coming to sa国际传媒 and settling in Truro, N.S., where they intend to stay permanently.
Thompson said not all applicants will immediately meet the qualifications required to work in their chosen field, adding that those applicants will be offered alternative roles within the health network.
In Chamalat鈥檚 case, his new job will involve working as a health-support aide at the Colchester East Hants Health Centre until he meets Canadian licensing requirements, a process he anticipates will take up to a year. His position involves working under the supervision of a licensed doctor or other health professional.
鈥淚 am happy to start at this point,鈥� said Chamalat.
Earlier this week, the provincial government announced $340,000 for the Nova Scotia College of Nursing to accelerate licensing for internationally educated nurses.
Sue Smith, CEO and registrar of the college, said work at streamlining the process had been underway prior to the arrival of the Ukrainians because of the health system鈥檚 growing need for more health professionals from outside of the province.
Smith said the college is simplifying requirements around proficiency in English, credit for previous accreditation in sa国际传媒 and earlier access for writing the national nursing examination.
鈥淲e welcome this and truly have not viewed it as extraordinary or negative,鈥� Smith said.
Meanwhile, Thompson said similar work is underway with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia in order to review the qualifications of doctors trained outside of sa国际传媒.
鈥淎nything is on the table,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e know that there鈥檚 a number of people that want to come and work here and we want them here.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2022.
Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press
