Portage la Prairie area residents in need of a family doctor will have to wait a while to get one.

Portage Clinic Chief Operating officer Chris Tompkins stresses it's not due to a shortage of doctors, but because of the retirement of Dr. Robin Carter.

"So we're working through the process of re-assigning all of his patients to some of our current physicians, he says, "Until we get through that process, the people who've never had a doctor before, we're going to have to put them on hold until we can get all the patients who have to be re-assigned, re-assigned."

Tompkins understands there's always a need for family doctors.

"We have a new doctor starting this summer," he says, "She'll obviously be able to take a few people, but our plan is in time -- I'm not saying next week, or next month -- but in time, that anyone who needs one, will have one. Dr. Carter had a big practice - it's going to take us a little while to get through those people."

Tompkins stresses if you need a doctor, there are alternatives.

"They can always come to the Walk-in. Everybody will be seen, whether the have a doctor or not. "'Family Doctor Finder' is a process that's been set up through the province that people can call. And what they do is maintain a master list of who needs a doctor, and what regions, and then they keep in contact with me on when people are available."

Here's a link to the "Family Doctor Finder" service.