The recruitment and retention of physicians in the southeast region is one of the top issues for doctors in the former Sun Country health region, and was discussed with the president and vice-president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) in their virtual tour on Thursday.
In past years, the president of the SMA made a tour of each area of the province and met physicians in person to hear their concerns or issues that need to be brought up with the health authority or the province.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings are being held virtually this year with SMA executive members and physicians by video-conferencing, and with president Dr. Barb Konstantynowicz and vice-president Dr. Eben Strydom.
The meetings with the doctors were not open to the public, but Dr. Strydom spoke with the Weyburn Review afterward to relay what some of the issues were.
With the moving of a number of doctors from Weyburn, the issue of recruitment and retention of doctors was a top concern.
Asked if doctors passed on reasons for leaving Weyburn, he replied, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 go into specific details on that, as doctors have individual reasons for the decisions they make.鈥�
He pointed out that rural doctors (such as in Weyburn) are general practitioners, and 鈥渨hen the number of physicians fall below a critical level, it has big implications for them and for a lot of things, I think specifically when you lose three or four doctors.鈥�
Dr. Strydom said this results in longer waiting lists to get into other doctors鈥� offices, and the Emergency Room ends up being used by patients for non-emergency needs as a result, and it increases the workload for those attending the ER.
Some of the issues around staffing of the ER at the hospital falls under the Saskatchewan Health Authority, while the SMA advocates for doctors and for support programs such as the locum program.
The association believes that it鈥檚 best for patients to have a physician they can access, said Dr. Strydom. 鈥淲e want that support and that safety net. Patients with family doctors do significantly better health-wise.鈥�
Another issue raised by physicians is the communication between the community and the Sask. Health Authority.
鈥淭here were comments that it could be slightly improved,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e will be working with the SMA and SHA to try and help with that.鈥�
The SMA鈥檚 physicians recently ratified a new contract agreement with the province, so the SMA鈥檚 attention will now shift to the relationships between doctors and the health authority. The bylaws and rules that articulate that relationship have been under review since the formation of the SHA.
鈥淭he bylaws and rules are perhaps as important to the province鈥檚 doctors as the new contract. During the virtual president and vice-president鈥檚 tour, I look forward to hearing from SMA members about these discussions,鈥� said Dr. Konstantynowicz in a release.
She also said they want to hear from doctors how they have been handling the COVID-19 pandemic, as they and their health-care colleagues are at the forefront in providing care.
鈥淲e want to hear about their experiences, whether they feel they have had enough support from the health system, whether they have enough PPE and supplies. We also want to hear their thoughts on virtual care and the fee codes for providing virtual care that were implemented in the early days of the pandemic,鈥� she said.
