Paying doctors more to cover vacant shifts at Winnipeg emergency rooms is nothing more than a quick fix for a more deep-rooted problem, says a city ER doctor.

Manitoba Health Minister Tim Sale announced earlier this month that the province would pay bonuses to doctors from other specialties, such as family physicians, to work in city emergency rooms, which currently have hundreds of vacant summer shifts.

Doctors will receive a $1,500 bonus to work a block of five hard-to-fill shifts.

But Dr. Merril Pauls questions the practice of paying bonuses because it could create animosity among physicians.

"There's the possibility during the summer that people who have no ongoing commitment to emergency care in this province, who may not be as qualified as I am to do some of that work, will actually get paid more to do some of those shifts than I will," he said.

"In fact, it's kind of providing more resources to those who probably are less committed to providing ongoing [emergency] care."

Can't financially compete

Pauls doesn't believe Manitoba will ever be able to compete financially with other areas of the country for emergency-room doctors.

The solution, he says, is creating a better work environment for doctors by increasing bed capacity, dealing with overcrowding and providing better emergency room resources.

"I think I make great money for what I do. What I would love is if some of that money would go to enhancing nursing support, to enhancing primary care or family-physician support," he said.

"It's just throwing a little bit more money at a problem that I think deserves more than that."

Doors closed

Last week, the emergency room at Grace General Hospital in Winnipeg was forced to close its doors to all critical patients because it didn't have enough doctors on staff.

Seven Oaks General Hospital barely avoided closing its emergency room a few weeks ago by allowing a family doctor to fill a vacant shift.