VANCOUVER — Doctors welcomed a federal announcement Monday of $75 million to help speed the integration of foreign-trained medical professionals into the health-care system.

But a B.C. physician noted the money, spread over five years, won't amount to much for each province and territory, whose own programs ultimately determine how many new doctors, nurses and other practitioners from abroad can be assimilated. The Canadian Medical Association estimates the nationwide shortage of family doctors alone at around 4,000.

After years of cutbacks, Canadian medical and nursing schools have begun to expand their programs but it will take up to a decade for new doctors to begin working.

Foreign-trained professionals are essential to fill the gap but many immigrants have been frustrated by the time and red tape required to gain Canadian credentials.

Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said the Liberal government's budget has earmarked money to accelerate the process.

It includes a web site to help would-be immigrants assess their options before coming, a new national agency to verify professional credentials, a national information database on international medical graduates and a streamlined evaluation exam, the first hurdle foreign-trained medical professionals must clear.

Dosanjh said the money will help integrate up to 1,000 doctors, 800 nurses and 500 other health-care professionals into Canada's health-care system over the next five years.

"Once completed these programs will mean more doctors for Canadians," he said, noting more than one in five of Canada's doctors and six per cent of its nurses are foreign trained.

"The provinces and territories will determine the number of training positions based on their needs. They will get money based on the number of people they integrate into the workforce from amongst the medical professions."

It's not known how many uncredentialed, foreign-trained doctors live in Canada, said Dr. Dale Dauphinee of the Medical Council of Canada, which handles evaluation of international medical graduates.

"The estimates is that it's probably hundreds, not thousands and thousands, but we don't actually have an accurate estimate," he said. "That's one of the reasons why some of the things we're suggesting are so important, is to be able to identify who they are."

But Dr. Don Andrews, head of the family physicians residency program at Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital, said he believes there are hundreds of uncredentialed doctors in British Columbia alone.

St. Paul's is the only B.C. hospital that offers a two-year residency program for foreign-trained doctors and there are only six slots, Andrews said.

"The number of (international medical graduates) this year who are applying to my program with the six positions is 90," he said.

All have passed their other Canadian qualifications while many more potential applicants have not reached that point. Others have simply given up, said Andrews.

"The impediment is that we really need more money from the provincial government," he said, adding it costs about $180,000 per residency. "Only they can fund this."

The governing B.C. Liberals, who released their platform Monday for the May 17 provincial election, are promising to "aggressively recruit" foreign-trained doctors and nurses.

But they have not committed to boosting the number of residency spots available to foreign-trained doctors or to expand the program to other hospitals.

The New Democrats' platform says the party will expand family practice residencies to 20 and add five specialist residencies.

By contrast, Alberta, with a population about 25 per cent less than British Columbia's population of four million, funds 23 family practice and five specialist residencies.

And Ontario, with about 12 million people, last year expanded its foreign-trained residency program to 200 slots from 65.

All the provinces and territories, as well as key professional associations, are anxious to speed up the integration of foreign-trained health professionals, said Dr. Hedy Fry, a Vancouver Liberal MP who co-ordinated Ottawa's plans as parliamentary secretary for citizenship and immigration.