More doctors to strengthen healthcare in rural and Northern Manitoba Communities

More doctors to strengthen healthcare in rural and Northern Manitoba Communities

October 14, 2026, | Winnipeg, MB | Health Canada

Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health and the Honourable Uzoma Asagwara, Manitoba’s Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care, announced the Government of Canada’s intention to provide up to $6 million in federal funding over three years to expand family medicine Practice-Ready Assessment opportunities for international medical graduates (IMG) in Manitoba. This will bring more family doctors into the health care system to work in both emergency departments and clinics across Manitoba.

Recruiting and supporting IMGs is essential to help meet demand for family physicians in Manitoba. Through the proposed project, Manitoba Health would work with key partners to expand and improve its Practice Ready Assessment process to support IMGs seeking to practice in family medicine in Manitoba. The project is expected to result in up to 90 new family physicians ready to work in Manitoba by 2028-2029.

The proposed investment would provide additional support for candidates and better meet Manitoba’s health-care workforce needs, especially in rural and remote communities. The program would help strengthen family medicine and emergency department services and support more reliable access to care for Manitobans, closer to home.

This investment is part of the concrete, coordinated actions the Government of Canada and its partners are taking to strengthen and expand the health workforce, delivering more timely, reliable access to high-quality health care services for everyone in Canada. 

“We want to help more internationally trained doctors put their skills and experience to work in Canada. This proposed funding would create more opportunities for qualified physicians to enter practice sooner, strengthening Manitoba’s health workforce and helping improve access to family health care, including in rural and remote communities.”