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THE NEW TANNERTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010 15 EZ-TAXI 7 D AYS A WEE K NOW SE RVING AC TON Featuring Actons Newest And Most Spacious Fleet All Vehicles Govt. Inspected 4 Times Per Year Millions Of Accident Free Miles Airport Transprotation Available For Safe Reliable Service Call: 519-853-1261 905-873-9900905-877-9900 TH E NE W Acton still short physicians By Frances Niblock Halton claims that its physician recruitment program posted impressive results is not reality in Acton, which remains the most under-serviced community in Halton for family practitioners. A Halton press release reported that since 2003, the program has helped bring over 90 new family doctors to Halton. While Acton has replaced retiring or dying physicians, it still, as part of Halton Hills, needs five more doctors using the doctor/patient ratio of one doc- tor to 1,380 patients. While a physician currently doing some work in Georgetown may do something in Acton, that is the only current action in on-going efforts to attract new family doctors to Acton, according to Angela Sugden- Praysner, Haltons physician recruitment officer. Theres no one on the radar no one looking ser- iously at Acton, Sugden-Praysner said last Thursday, adding the search continues. There are three physicians seeing patients at the Acton Medical centre including Dr. Nather Alshakarji, who began seeing patients part-time following the Au- gust 2000 death of Dr. Brian Moore. He has developed a loyal full-time practice, helped open an after-hours walk-in clinic and is almost ready to open the new Acton Medical and Acute Care Medical Clinic. Other physicians seeing patients in Acton include Dr. Dhanya Jayalath and Dr. Ahmed Alkadhimi, who joined the practice last summer. Sugden-Praysner said there are still incentives to attract new physicians to Acton including the Towns $5,000 non-repayable grant and a $10,000 no interest loan, payable over five years, providing the doctors agree to practice in Halton Hills for five years. Georgetown Hospital has a separate incentive pro- gram that offers new physicians coming to Acton a $10,000 relocation grant and an interest free loan of up to $30,000. Halton Region doesnt offer any direct financial incentives, but it helps applicants opening or joining practices in under-serviced areas like Halton Hills apply for Ministry of Heath grants of up to $15,000, payable over three years and up to $40,000 in tuition support. Actons new medical clinic open soon By Frances Niblock Doctors will be seeing patients by April 1 at Ac- tons new Medical and Urgent Care Clinic located on Mill Street at Eastern Avenue. Thats the time target according to Jordan Struk, an engineer working on the project, a joint venture by Acton physician Dr. Nather Alshakarji and a develop- ment company owned by Struks mother-in-law, Mrs. Shamim Warren, whose company built the Milton Professional Cen- tre and a medical clinic in Peterborough. The 10,199-square-foot, one-story building on a va- cant property bordered by Mill Street, Church Street, Eastern Avenue and Fel- lows Street will house doctors offices, 10 exam- ination rooms, a dentists office, pharmacy, massage therapists, a nurse practi- tioner, a walk-in clinic and a chiropractors office. Were working on inter- ior finishes right now the cabinetry, the painting, carpeting, flooring and the other final surface finishes. Externally, the landscaping and final asphalt will wait for spring. The construc- tion activity will really ramp up this week, and in three weeks we should be finished, Struk said, add- ing they are on time and on budget. We have one office unit left to offer and are in talks with several individuals, but so far no one has signed a lease, Struk said. A l o n g w i t h D r . Alshakarji, who began seeing Acton patients part- time at the Acton Medical Centre on Mill Street fol- lowing the August 2000 death of Dr. Brian Moore, the new clinic will include Dr. Dhanya Jayalath and Dr. Ahmed Alkadhimi who came to Acton last summer and a nurse prac- titioner. This has been such a long time coming were really excited, Struk said noting that a lack of fully- accessible medical offices has been an on-going issue in attempting to attract new physicians to Acton, and recruitment officials said the new facility is a welcome incentive to help sell Acton as a good loca- tion for a doctor. Region touts recruitment successes