Residents of Pembroke are benefiting from the expertise of two internationally trained doctors, Dr. Helia Ghanean and Dr. Ali Ziaee, thanks to the province’s Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) program. The couple, both qualified to practice medicine for over two decades, struggled to get licensed in Canada after moving from Iran in 2017.
The PRO program, which aims to fast-track the licensing of foreign-trained doctors, provided them the opportunity to complete necessary exams and training. After successfully finishing the program, Dr. Ghanean and Dr. Ziaee are now practicing as family doctors in Pembroke, where they are providing much-needed care to over 1,000 patients.
Previously, the couple worked in various medical roles while waiting for their Canadian licenses, including positions with Telemedicine Ontario and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The licensing process was long, but Dr. Ghanean says it helped her stay current in her field.
The PRO program is designed to address the shortage of family doctors in rural Ontario communities like Pembroke. Despite challenges in 2024, the program aims to bring 100 doctors into practice by the end of 2025.
Dr. Ziaee believes that having more family doctors will ease the burden on emergency rooms and allow for earlier detection of medical conditions, ultimately improving healthcare outcomes and saving costs. Ghanean has already diagnosed several patients with cancer who likely could have benefited from earlier treatment if they had a family doctor.
With the PRO program showing promise, Ontario is taking steps to meet the demand for healthcare professionals in underserved communities, like Pembroke, and support the local healthcare system.
(Written by: Emma Butler)