Saskatchewan health care shortfall is ‘putting patients at risk,’ doctors say globalnews.ca

related physicians are all pointing to the pressures in Saskatchewan health care dealing with the system.

Dr. John Stampian, Provincial Head of emergency Medicine In Saskatchewan, emergency department beds say Royal University Hospital Full in Saskatoon.

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Stampian says the hospital has about 45 beds in the emergency department and would typically be filled with people taking beds in the upstairs wards.

He added that this is an issue spreading to other hospitals and has been going on for months.

“So when we have either an admitted patient or a consult patient those beds are not available for emergency physicians to see patients. So, for us it’s a patient safety issue,” Stampian said.

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He said he is concerned that they may not be able to provide an appropriate level of care to patients.

“This puts those patients at risk and is extremely difficult for emergency physicians and nurses who are trying to do their best and care for every patient.”

Stampian also cited instances of rudeness and sometimes violence towards frontline workers.

“I think there has been a slow but steady increase in the level of abuse or almost violence against some of our front-line workers, which has also been very difficult.”

Due to respiratory illnesses, hospitalizations are rising, Stampian said, but added that the measure of how sick patients are arriving at the hospital is even higher.

He noted that could be for a number of reasons, adding that people may hold back from going to the hospital because they know ERs are busy, or it could be because people are having trouble accessing family doctors. Is.

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have been residents of Saskatchewan Struggling to find family doctorsSome were left searching for a doctor for several months.

Dr. John Javre, president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association, said the province is moving doctors “for a variety of reasons.”

“I suspect it is normal, normal movement. Certainly, there was a decline in movement during the beginning of the pandemic,” Gevrey said.


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He said the health care system had stagnated for a while, but said there are now more opportunities for physicians to relocate.

Gjevre said that, however, is a broader issue.

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“Clearly there is a crisis in primary care. And it’s not just a Saskatchewan problem, it’s a national problem.

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The reasons are complex, he said, noting that there is a nationwide shortage of family physicians.

Gjevre said part of the issue is fewer medical students going into family medicine residencies, and some physicians have been burned out or retired early during the pandemic.

He said he wanted to work with the government to rebuild the foundation of health care.

“Family medicine is the foundation of health care, and without that foundation, the rest of the structure becomes very shaky.”

“Ideally everyone has a family doctor, and everyone has health care closer to home,” Gevrey said.

Gjevre said there have been talks with the government to address health issues, including trying to find new and innovative ways to provide care.

He exemplified a team-based approach where a family physician helps a patient find the health care they need, be it a social worker, physiotherapist, surgeon or pharmacist.

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Gjevre said it would be many other health care providers working with a family physician to “optimize health care for the patient.”

He said it is a concept that has spread across Canada and works in other jurisdictions.

Gjevre said an IT process that works across the province and is accessible to all health care providers would be of great help as well.

“If you see an ear doctor in Lanigan, and they put something in the charts, and then you get seen by a specialist in Regina, they have access to that.”

A similar process already exists in Alberta, he said, but added that they could improve upon that.

Global News reached out to the Saskatchewan Health Authority for comment and received the following statement:

“Saskatchewan is closely monitoring and monitoring the situation across the country and monitoring the impact here in the province. Response plans are being drawn up to ensure Saskatchewan hospitals are prepared to meet the needs of children and families should we experience a similar level of surge in other provinces, the statement read.

“Seven additional beds, five at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and two at Regina General Hospital, have been staffed to increase access to child care. We’ve also added incremental care staff during peak times in areas that are seeing increased utilization, such as the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.

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“The goal of the Saskatchewan Health Authority is to ensure that every child, regardless of need or geographic location, has access to timely and appropriate care.

“To date, the purpose of our planning and preparation is to increase access to acute care without impacting other child health programs. Slowdown in the planning stages will be a last resort. This includes ensuring teams in rural Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Regina And all working together in a supportive network.

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