In a bizarre twist to the territory's doctor shortage saga, a Whitehorse man has resorted to newspaper advertisements in his hunt for a family physician.

City resident Philip Gibson said he took out an ad in Thursday's and today's editions of the Star because he has been searching for a family doctor for nearly a year and is still no closer to finding one.

'Well, I guess it's a combination of frustration and hope. I'm frustrated that I can't find a doctor and I'm hopeful a doctor will respond,' Gibson said.

He said in his search he has called the Department of Health and Social Services, the Yukon Medical Council and every doctor in the phone book, including the ones who are not listed in the Yellow Pages.

'I called and they all told me that they were not taking patients and (many of them) said that they do not even have a waiting list.'

Gibson said while he is generally in good health, he has some 'unique health issues' which require a family doctor as opposed to services offered at a walk-in clinic.

'They're issues that would be better serviced with some continuity (the same doctor),' he said.

The 50-ish Gibson said he has had three doctors in the last 10 years.

'They all moved away,' he said.

Gibson's pleas come on the back of similar pleas made by the presidents of the Canadian (CMA) and Yukon Medical Associations (YMA).

Last month, CMA president Dr. Ruth Collins-Nakai said every area of Canada is experiencing a doctor shortage.

She said while some doctors were trying to take on more patients, workloads were taking their tolls on doctors who are now showing signs of being overworked.

'Doctor burnout and suicide rates are increasing,' Collins-Nakai told the Star.

She said there are now approximately 10 per cent of Canadians without access to a family doctor, a number that concerns the CMA.

'We're concerned about that because it forces (patients) to go to walk-in clinics, medi-clinics or emergency rooms as their primary contact.'

Dr. Wayne McNicol, who was president of the YMA until last month, said he became very familiar with the doctor shortage during his tenure with the YMA.

'Every single day; every single day, we (got) calls. We (got) calls from (Yukon MP) Larry Bagnell's office because they (said) they can't find a family physician.

'They call the Department of Health and say they can't find a family doc. They call around to offices and say they can't find a family doc.'

McNicol said the problem is compounded by the high doctor turnover rate which sees the Yukon lose 10 per cent of its doctors per year.

'If you look at a place like Kelowna (B.C.), you have a turnover rate of maybe one per cent.

'That means doctors who leave (Yukon) for whatever reason, leave their patients, some of whom have complex medical problems, without a physician to actually pick up those patients.'

McNicol also said that a government program created by Premier Dennis Fentie's government, which sees physicians receive a one-time fee of $200 for any new patient they accept, is not working because doctors are already overworked.

'You can't buy us off,' he said.

Asked at the YMA general meeting what his government is doing to address the doctor shortage, Fentie said his government has negotiated increased health care funding from Ottawa.

When asked, Fentie was not able to provide specific examples of what his government is doing to encourage new doctors to come to the Yukon.