County of Shasta, California – The County of Shasta is struggling with a serious shortage of doctors, which prompted Dr. James C. Mu, Health of Health to declare a public health crisis. The shortage covers critical fields such as primary care, internal medicine, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, surgical specialties and medical specialties.
Dr. MU has stressed that the county’s medical workforce is aging and that the influx of new doctors is insufficient to meet current and future requests. This shortage already affects access to care, patients with longer waiting times for primary and specialized services. Emergency services are increasingly managing cases that could be managed on an outpatient basis, while references are delayed, chronic diseases are not managed and the diagnostic and procedure capacity decreases.
“The effects of this labor shortage are most strongly felt in rural and unprerared areas, where geographic and financial barriers aggravate the lack of medical access,” said Dr. Mu. He warned that without intervention, the crisis will get worse while more and more doctors retire without adequate replacements, threatening the stability of the Shasta County health system and the long -term health of its residents.
Dr. MU’s Declaration aims to draw attention to the urgent need to develop doctors’ workforce. He called on the community to prioritize actions such as the recruitment and retention of doctors through specialties, the expansion of training opportunities and clinical infrastructure, strategic planning and partnerships with hospitals, university institutions, medical companies and regional actors, and the continuation of national and federal financing to support these objectives.
In a press release, Dr. MU said: “That this declaration serves as an appeal – for local leaders, health establishments and community partners – to combat this growing crisis and build a safer future for medical care in Shasta County.”