A First Nation in southwestern Manitoba has tried for years to recruit a doctor for the community.

Gambler First Nation, which is about 350 kilometres northwest from Winnipeg, has fewer than 100 residents. The First Nation has gone six years without a doctor.

“Right now, we can’t even get a family doctor,” said Chief David LeDoux of Gambler First Nation.

His community relies on clinics nearly 30 minutes away in Russell. Chief LeDoux says it’s been a challenge.

“They just don’t have room for anybody. A lot of my appointments are two to three years down the road.”

LeDoux was desperate for that care when he suffered a heart attack back in 2019.

“It was pretty scary for me to be out here,” he said.

He made it a mission from that point on to recruit help, but it wasn’t easy. The search took him to Cuba, after not being able to find anyone in Canada.

Eventually they reached out to Manitoba’s Immigration Services and found Igor Schinkarew.

“We kept pushing, and finally we met with Igor, and we started talking, and he’s going to fit in long term for us,” said LeDoux.

Schinkarew moved to Manitoba in 2019. He says he practiced family medicine in Brazil for seven years, working mostly in remote and rural communities.

“I wanted a challenge in my life. I know that my English was good enough, and I am a French native speaker, so why not Canada? Why not Manitoba?” Schinkarew said.

He will eventually become the new doctor in Gambler but first has to spend a year as a clinical assistant while he finalizes the last steps for Canadian medical certification.