Photo: Prairie North Health Region CEO David Fan
By Katie Ryan
If you’re in need of surgery, you might find yourself on the operating table in a hospital located in a different city.
Presently, Lloydminster Hospital is without two general surgeons this month and to contend with the shortage some surgical patients could be re-directed outside of the city to Edmonton, Saskatoon or North Battleford.
Prairie North Health Region CEO David Fan said Llodyminster Hospital typically has three general surgeons operating in the community, however, two are presently on leave to complete their fellowship exams which is a requirement for licensing.
“Two of them are taking an extended period of time this year to prepare themselves for the exam and there are two parts to it, the first part was in May and the second part is in June,” said Fan.
“Is there going to be another break in June when these two surgeons are away to challenge the second part of their exam? The answer is yes. We are trying to make sure the coverage is there, if it’s not available locally at least somebody can take over the cases.”
Though the city has one surgeon practicing, Fan said the health region is ensuring provisions are made to ensure the surgical needs of patients are met.
“We are trying to work with the Battlefords (Union Hospital) surgeons when that break occurs, that there is a backup there to look after the cases that need to be looked after,” said Fan last week, following the PNHR board meeting.
According to Fan, one surgeon can only provide 80 per cent of the needed coverage in the community. He said the surgeon shortage situation is not unique to Llodyminster, but is common to centres of similar size and that regional coordination is required.
“These kinds of breaks happen and this is quite a common problem for smaller regional centres like ourselves, whether it’s the Battlefords or Lloydminster, where you don’t have enough,” he said.
“You don’t have the critical mass, anything more than three plus. Whenever you have three or less the chances of having a break in coverage becomes more frequent simply because people get sick, people are on extended vacation or need time off for exams. Those are challenges we face on an ongoing basis – not just for surgery, but also for other specialties as well.
“I think only over time as the community grows and the number of physicians get to a critical mass then that kind of variation look after itself.”