The City of Belleville Welcomes Dr. Goher Altaf

The City of Belleville is pleased to announce the signing of Dr. Goher Altaf into the Belleville Family Physician Recruitment Program. Dr. Altaf is a seasoned family physician from the United Kingdom who will be moving to Belleville and starting a family medicine practice this fall.

“Dr. Goher Altaf and his family will be welcome additions to the City of Belleville.  With his extensive experience and passion for family medicine, Dr. Altaf will help make Belleville a healthier community,” said Mayor Neil Ellis. “Council is very pleased to welcome Dr. Altaf to our city, and we look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

“I am very excited to begin working in Belleville and to have the opportunity to serve this wonderful community,” said Dr. Altaf. “It is both an honour and a privilege to bring my 30 years of medical experience, including 18 years as a family doctor in the U.K., to Belleville, where I look forward to making a meaningful difference.” 

Although healthcare and physician recruitment are not a municipal responsibility, the City of Belleville has recognized the need and implemented one of the most successful physician recruitment programs in the province, recruiting more than 50 physicians and eight nurse practitioners. The program is funded in part by the dividends the City receives as a shareholder of Elexicon Energy, and to date, over $9 million has been committed to attracting primary healthcare providers.

For residents in need of a family physician or a nurse practitioner, it is important to register with Health Care Connect (HCC). HCC is a resource used by physicians and government agencies to place patients with physicians and can be relied upon by doctors and nurse practitioners when developing or expanding their roster of patients. Registering with HCC is the key to finding primary health care in Ontario. You can register with HCC by calling 1-800-445-1822 (TTY 1-800-387-5559) or by visiting the HCC website.