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<\/p>\nThere\u2019s a chance you could rush to your nearest emergency room only to find there are no doctors on site or worse, it\u2019s closed.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a scenario Saskatchewan NDP associate health critic Keith Jorgensen said could happen in at least three Saskatchewan communities.<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/p>\n
Jorgensen said that based on information from Facebook or frontline healthcare workers he\u2019s talked with, the issues faced by hospitals in Watrous, Kipling, and Davidson are \u201cabsolutely insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the Watrous District Health Complex has experienced roughly 40 service disruptions so far this year and there\u2019s no physical doctor on site.<\/p>\n
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The Town of Watrous posted this notice about the temporary emergency services closure on their Facebook page at 9:13 a.m. on July 22. (Town of Watrous)<\/p>\n
Similarly, Kipling Integrated Health Centre was closed this entire month, according to Jorgensen, and re-opened July 21 without a doctor physically present.<\/p>\n
Davidson Health Centre closed in the late afternoon on July 22, and Jorgensen said the facility will rotate through virtual care for the rest of the week.<\/p>\n
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This notice was posted on the Town of Davidson\u2019s Facebook page on July 4 at 9:31 a.m. (Town of Davidson)<\/p>\n
They might not be the only hospitals in the province experiencing these issues, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea whether or not there\u2019s three hospitals that are open with no doctors, or 30. We have no idea, because the government isn\u2019t telling us, and it\u2019s a tremendously dangerous situation,\u201d Jorgensen said.<\/p>\n
His criticisms of the government focused on three things: some hospitals aren\u2019t open, others are opening without a doctor physically present, and neither of these situations are being effectively communicated with the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government is doing nothing to inform rural residents of this province of potentially dangerous situations that they face. It\u2019s absolutely crazy,\u201d Jorgensen said.<\/p>\n
Searching for a solution<\/p>\n
According to Jorgensen, the solution is simple: build a web page.<\/p>\n
He said people should be able to search to see if a facility is open and whether a doctor\u2019s on site.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, he said, people are left in the dark on where they should go for treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no way to actually know this without going to the facility and then realizing, \u2018oh shoot, I drove half an hour in the wrong direction. This hospital has no doctor,\u2019\u201d Jorgensen said, calling out the government for its \u201cgamble\u201d on people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not the only technology-driven solution, though.<\/p>\n
Jorgensen also spoke about making use of the cellphone emergency system, which just earlier this week notified people in Saskatchewan about a potential tornado nearby.<\/p>\n
This system could broadcast hospital closures and service disruptions to people in the area and the bonus, according to Jorgensen, is that it wouldn\u2019t cost much.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo my knowledge, it costs nothing to send out these messages on a website or via cellphone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Virtually no doctors<\/p>\n
Not having doctors physically present doesn\u2019t mean rural patients won\u2019t have access whatsoever to a doctor, though.<\/p>\n
The virtual doctor program, used by several rural communities, lets patients talk with a doctor through a web cam after being assessed by a nurse.<\/p>\n
While Jorgensen has heard from dozens of rural residents who\u2019ve spoken \u201cglowingly\u201d of virtual care, he said the option has its place in the health-care system.<\/p>\n
According to Jorgensen, it should be used for routine medical issues, like refilling a prescription or treating a rash.<\/p>\n
But, he said, it\u2019s inappropriate to drive to an emergency room, \u201cand then be told that you\u2019re supposed to talk to somebody on the phone at the hospital. That\u2019s insane in terms of how we notify people.\u201d<\/p>\n
While communicating through a webpage or cellphones are the first step, in the long-term, Jorgensen wants the provincial government to develop a plan for recruiting and retaining health-care workers in rural Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n