LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. Alberta Medical Association requests for locums, or temporary doctors has exploded, leading to widespread gaps in medical coverage in many rural hospitals and clinics. NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the documents confirm there is a critical shortage of frontline healthcare providers in rural Alberta, including both doctors and nurses. “And what makes this problem even worse is that when we raised it with Health Minister Tyler Shandro, he refused to acknowledge the problem exists at all.” Last summer, during the period of July through September 2020, there were between five and 14 gaps to cover. This year the AMA has emailed out requests to fill 142 gaps, in 32 different communities.