A bemused GP has a medical practice in Tokoroa, Waikato. Where is that? Well, it’s some random place in the North island of New Zealand. He is currently offering a position for a GP which includes an annual salary of R4 million, three months of holiday and no night or weekend work. When he advertised it, he thought it would attract interest from many prospective employees, but alas, no such luck.

Now, Dr Alan Kenny is unsure what to do next. Here’s the story:

The 61-year-old said his practice had “exploded” over the last year but that he had found it impossible to find anyone to help cover his expanding workload.

I can offer them a really, really amazing income; it’s incredible. My practice has exploded in the last year and the more patients you list, the more money you get. But it just gets too much at the end of the day.

I love my work and I would like to stay but I hit my head against a brick wall trying to attract doctors.

If it’s hard enough to get doctors to work alongside me, it’s going to be a devil of a job to get doctors to replace me.

He has had no applicants in the past four months. But the problem is that the location lacks school options and poor broadband services. This has caused a death of rural GPs in the Tolkien-esque land.

To be fair, if that’s the life you would rather lead, then, wow, go for it.

[source: independent]