Many Canadians say they still can’t find a family doctor, and yet a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information says over the last five years, the number of doctors in this country has increased at a rate more than double that of the population growth.

CIHI’s Geoff Ballinger says the figures in the report are somewhat puzzling as a result.

“So that’s the big question. Why does there seem to be this disconnect between the growing number of physicians and the fact the same proportion are still having a challenging accessing physicians?” Ballinger asks.

The research reveals that since 2014, the number of doctors in Canada increased by more than 12 per cent to almost 90-thousand while the population expanded by just under five per cent.

Statistics Canada figures from 2016 show close to 16 percent of Canadians over the age of 12, or about 4.8 million people, did not have a regular family doctor.

Ballinger says the greatest need for doctors is more in rural and remote areas of the country.

Hear more about this issue and have your say on Zoomer Radio’s Fight Back with Libby Znaimer at 12:30 Thursday afternoon.