As of Aug. 1, there were 54,915 Nova Scotians on the registry for a family doctor. But as the thousands wait, some who do have a physician are simply not showing up for appointments.

In August, 118 appointments were missed at the Duffus Health Centre. There were 132 missed appointments in July. It works out to about 41 and a half hours, or a full week’s of work for a single physician.

“This is really good news for the Saudi learners and for Nova Scotians,” said Tim Holland in a statement. “The Saudi residents provide an important service to the people of Nova Scotia and they are actively involved in health-care delivery at the province’s tertiary care centres on a daily basis. Their loss would have put a strain on many services, particularly surgical services. Canadian residents and staff physicians are already at capacity, and the loss of the Saudi residents would have pushed our system even further, which could worsen burnout.”

Another wave of emergency room closures is washing across small-town Nova Scotia this week. Once again there just aren't enough doctors to keep them open.