The Parhelion Medical Clinic in Watson Lake will be closed effective today because of a lack of physicians.

As a result, Watson Lake citizens requiring medical care will be redirected to the Watson Lake Hospital.

This action is being taken by doctors Tanis and Said Secerbegovic, the owners of the clinic, as a last resort.

Dr. Said Secerbegovic is now semi-retired and only returning periodically to Watson Lake to assist his daughter with the practice.

Due to personal commitments, he is unable to return for long periods of time, and Dr. Tanis Secerbegovic can no longer continue to cope with looking after dozens of patients each day by herself without the help of other doctors.

For years, the clinic has been able to draw upon International Medical Graduate (IMGs) doctors to practise in Watson Lake under the guidance and supervision of the local resident doctor. That process, however, is no longer able to occur since the Yukon government passed regulations that came into effect last January.

The Department of Health and Social Services and the Yukon Medical Council were made aware of the developing problem in Watson Lake over the last five months and were urged to move to help solve the situation.

However, despite providing assurances that the problem was being worked on, the department has failed to provide any solution that would result in any doctors being able to be brought into Watson Lake to provide relief to Secerbegovic.

Department spokeswoman Pat Living said today it has been advertising doctors positions in Watson Lake and is on the verge of launching a new cross-Canada advertising campaign, likely early next week.

While the ideal situation is to find a resident doctor for the community, or someone who is willing to make at least a three- to five-year commitment, Living said it may come down to making use of visiting relief doctors until a permanent doctor can be found.

She noted a doctor from Whitehorse was in the community working last weekend.

One solution to the problem would be for the government to lift the regulations that have restricted the ability to bring in IMGs, Tanis Secerbegovic said.

Living said IMGs are physicians who are trained outside of Canada who practise under a supervising doctor, because they aren't licensed here under the Canadian College of Family Physicians (CCFP).

The government did have an IMG program, but a decision was made to stop accepting IMGs because it was found once they passed their CCFP exam, which has to be done within five years, they were leaving the Yukon.

Since the program has ended in the Yukon, strict rules associated with supervising and assessing IMGs have come into effect, and Living said the Yukon doesn't have the capacity to meet those guidelines.

The department is working with two other jurisdictions in Canada to see if an arrangement can be made to partner with them to meet the new requirements.

"It's a work in progress,” she said. "We would hope to have at least one agreement by the fall.”

Both Secerbegovics say they regret having to close the clinic. They say they've been seeking the department's assistance to address the problem for months, but nothing has happened.

During the closure, Tanis Secerbegovic will deal with any emergencies at the hospital.

Said Living: "We can appreciate the position she's in ... but we are doing what we can to make things work.”