A doctor in La Ronge has launched a petition to pressure the government to get more physicians working in the area.

Dr. Sean Groves says doctors at La Ronge Medical Clinic are overworked and patients are not getting the care they deserve.

He says the patient population is about 14,000, with many of them living in poverty and suffering from chronic diseases.

So far about 200 people have signed the petition, which will be submitted to health minister Dustin Duncan.

Dr. Groves describes the situation as desperate, saying patients in the north account for a substantial proportion of the overall health-care costs in the province.

He says more doctors could address the underlying issues and reduce that burden.