It's hoped a new pediatrician at Bluewater Health will help ease the strain on the others at the hospital.
Dr. Adenike Aladetoyinbo has joined the staff in Sarnia after most recently working in the Maritimes.
She completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Ilorin, in Nigeria, followed by a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and a Diploma in Child Health at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Chief of Paediatrics Dr. Tom Lacroix welcomes her arrival.
"At one point, several years ago, we had gone down to two pediatricians," says Lacroix. " So having a full complement of four pediatricians, really eases the day-to-day burden on the pediatricians and it allows us to see people very quickly. So we're able to reduce our wait times and get people in for a whole variety of services that much quicker."
He says he's delighted that she's joined the Maternal Infant Program here because she could have gone anywhere in the country.
"Across Canada, general pediatricians are quite a dying breed," he says. "A lot of people tend to go into specialties when they're doing pediatrics, so they end up becoming a pediatric cardiologist or something like that."
But, Lacroix says general pediatricians are just the kind of doctors needed in places like Sarnia and Chatham.
"They're able to deal with newborns, children and fill in a lot of services that are required for the general population."
Dr. Aladetoyinbo completed her Masters in Public Health at Walden University in Minneapolis, then travelled to Saint John, New Brunswick where she practiced pediatrics at Saint John Regional Hospital.
While out east, Dr. Aladetoyinbo helped teach new doctors as an assistant professor of pediatrics with Dalhousie University in Halifax and Memorial University of Newfoundland.
"What's really nice about a hospital our size and community our size is it provides a great opportunity for learners," says Lacroix. "So, all of us on staff are adjunct professors of pediatrics for Western University. Dr. Aladetoyinbo has her credentials and is now going to be joining us as an adjunct professor for Western."
Dr. Aladetoyinbo is accepting patients at her office on Christina St. across from Sarnia Police Headquarters and can be reached at 519-344-2500.