A psychiatrist with experience on three continents settled down to work in St. Paul in September and was welcomed by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and staff at the St. Therese Healthcare Centre on Friday.
Dr. Mohamed Nouh graduated with his medical degree in Egypt in 1967. He received his specialization in psychiatry in Paris in 1976.
Nouh practiced for 20 years in Saudi Arabia, which he described as similar to Fort McMurray in its cultural diversity and that people working there “come from everywhere.”
Nouh moved to Canada and worked in New Brunswick for several years and then in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, for five years.
Nouh’s wife and three children plan to join him in St. Paul. Nouh enjoys soccer and has volunteered with Special Olympics.
Five beds in the psychiatric unit opened on Wednesday with five more expected by mid to late October. New staff has joined the unit with its reopening. The unit closed in 2009 due to staffing challenges. The unit is now a designated facility and can admit both voluntary and involuntary patients.
Attracting physicians has been a challenge, said Kim Fleming, a physician resource planner.
