Minister of Health fields concerns from medical community at SMA conference

At the SMA conference, physicians raised concerns about reduced hours and urgent care closures due to staffing shortages. Jacob Carr reports.

Plenty of questions were lobbied at a panel that included Minister of Health Jeremy Cockrill at the Saskatchewan Medical Association’s spring assembly.

Understaffing at Regina’s Urgent Care Centre was one of the issues brought up.

One delegate asked how the ministry can justify continuing to pay pharmacists, nurses, and other staff with taxpayer dollars for full shifts when the centre can’t function without a physician on site.

“That’s work that we’re committed to doing over the next several months, because, again, the intention of our government is to open up a second urgent care location in Regina, again, to provide another access point for patients,” Cockrill responded.

Cockrill added that the ministry has taken part in direct engagement with physicians in Regina, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, North Battleford, and Prince Albert, to understand what the future of urgent care centres looks like.

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“I think we’re getting there, and we’ve made progress through that engagement with some members in several of those communities. I think it’s actually going to get us to a better spot in some of these future urgent care centres,” he said.

The Minister of Health went on to use the Prince Albert Urgent Care Centre as an example of a future centre that he says will meet the needs of that community.

Cockrill was also not the only panelist fielding questions on the day.

“I was just curious if there’s an actionable conversation taking place, regarding includ[ing] support for chronic pain management,” asked another delegate.

Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Ingrid Kirby answered an inquiry about the ministry’s plan to support the need for chronic pain management.

“That’s work that we’re committed to doing over the next several months, because, again, the intention of our government is to open up a second urgent care location in Regina, again, to provide another access point for patients,” she said.

The conference continues on Saturday with an annual general meeting.