‘The shortage is expected to get worse’: Retired doctor explains how lack of physicians is impacting the community
Uohara said that while there are more than 10,000 licensed physicians in the state, there are really only about 2,800 actually actively working — many licensed doctors are, like him, retired and no longer providing care. Based on various models, he said, there are 187 too few doctors on the Big Island, while the state is short 732 doctors to meet the medical needs of Hawaii’s population.
