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Saskatchewan doctors raised concerns about administrative burdens, vacant positions and high patient volumes to a panel of provincial ministers on Friday.
Doctors were able to question the ministers about patient care and health care at the Saskatchewan Medical Association’s (SMA) conference in Regina.
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The assembly ran from Friday to Saturday at the Hotel Saskatchewan.
Dr. Carla Holinaty, the SMA president and a family physician, said doctors are able to gain valuable information through their questions.
The SMA and provincial government teamed up to create a $10-million Innovation Fund to improve primary care.
The fund allows doctors to make changes to adapt to the different needs of patients receiving care at their clinics.
“We’re really looking forward to working with government to hopefully be able to make those be permanent and then expand access to them to help more of our physicians feel like they can build out team-based care in meaningful ways,” Holinaty said.
A large amount of effort has gone into refining how doctors are recruited to the province, she said.
“We can always improve, and a big part of getting people here is retaining the fantastic people that we already have, and making sure that new people that come in have supported, happy physicians around them to become part of their team and help them grow in their new lives in Saskatchewan,” Holinaty said.
She and Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill are able to contact each other about different issues throughout the year.
“We meet regularly, and we’re very engaged with each other,” she said. “There are definitely things that we agree more on and things that we agree less on.
“Those conversations keep happening, and they’re always amicable and professional.”
Cockrill agreed.
“I always say, there’s good work happening, but there’s far more work to do,” he said. “There’s no finish line in health care in terms of making improvements on behalf of patients.”
