Mr. Speaker, here is another example of the erosion of health care in rural Canada.
Two doctors, serving 8,000 patients, have retired in the village of Lakefield, Ontario. This is part of a trend that has seen Peterborough county steadily depleted of physicians. One township, Havelock--Belmont--Methuen, after a great struggle, has been able to establish a nurse practitioner program, but not even this is in sight for Lakefield.
Therefore I am pleased to see that the Romanow report recommends that $1.5 billion be allocated to create the rural and remote access fund. Recommendation 30 of the report states:
The Rural and Remote Access Fund should be used to attract and retain health care providers.
On behalf of the people of Peterborough riding and Canadians in all parts of rural Canada, I strongly urge that this recommendation be implemented immediately.