Estevan Mercury 20190320

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Issue 47

SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

www.estevanmercury.ca

Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240

Hospital preparing for specialist’s departure By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

Estevan is back in the market for an obstetrician-gynecologist. Dr. Ahmad Sawwan, who came to St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2017, is leaving the community. St. Joseph’s Hospital executive director Greg Hoffort confirmed Sawwan’s departure in an interview with the Mercury last week. His final day is April 30, and he will be providing service up until that date, although a message at his office said Sawwan’s clinic would be closed from March 18-22. Hoffort said the hospital was surprised to find out Sawwan was leaving. “When we recruit new physicians, we’re certainly hopeful that Estevan becomes home, and they make a career here, but we have also learned, and we accept the fact that many of our physicians move on to different opportunities, and for a number of reasons,” said Hoffort. He does not know where Sawwan is going, and Sawwan did not reveal a reason for his departure. Sawwan could not be reached for comment. “When he came, he initially agreed to two years, and he’s completed that,” said Hoffort. In the meantime, the hospital has developed plans for his departure and to fill some of the gap created by his departure. “Although we are very sorry to see him leave, we do have plans in place to ensure coverage of the obstetrical piece,” said Hoffort. Obstetrical calls are currently handled by Sawwan and Dr. Edward Krickan. Krickan will continue to handle obstetrical services, and the hospital could also have some locum physicians. “We’re recruiting for his (Sawwan’s) replacement, for someone who can maybe handle the other end of the obstetrical coverage in Estevan,” said Hoffort. Several physicians are interested in providing the locum services on a short-term or mediumterm basis for Estevan to support Krickan. “We certainly can’t have him on-call 365 days per year,” said Hoffort. Krickan will also continue to see patients while handling obstetric duties. A few pieces that have to be ironed out will be announced in the coming weeks, Hoffort said. Some locums will be doing one week a month, while others will provide itinerant solutions. “We are confident that we will find a replacement to the services

Dr. Ahmad Sawwan Dr. Sawwan provides in regards to obstetrical services,” said Hoffort. Hoffort pointed out that other family physicians in Estevan are capable of delivering babies, but Sawwan and Krickan are capable of performing C-sections. Another piece of the puzzle is the anesthesiology service. Estevan has been without a permanent anesthesiologist since Dr. Anthony Davies left last June. A locum physician has been handling that task. “We have several irons in the fire, but we don’t have anything concrete to announce there yet as far as the long-term future of anesthesia services,” said Hoffort. The anesthesia services are critical to obstetrics because of their role in C-sections. Discussions are ongoing to bring an anesthesiologist to Estevan on a more permanent basis, and the goal is to have two physicians who provide that service. “The team effort is going to yield some success, it’s just that we don’t have that permanent solution in place yet,” said Hoffort. Prior to Sawwan’s arrival, Estevan was without the services of an obstetrician-gynecologist for about five months. Most of the expectant mothers in the region had to go elsewhere for deliveries, and other services were also delivered outside of the city. “We had no other physician that did C-section ser vices in Estevan, so what that does, when you have a gap like that, then any at-risk or first deliveries or complicated deliveries, we advise and send to them in Regina,” said Hoffort. Krickan came after Sawwan, providing Estevan with another capable obstetrician. There won’t be the shortage in obstetrics like there was in late 2016 and early 2017. The hospital is advertising for Sawwan’s replacement throughout the country. Hoffort pointed out the hospital has been successful in the past when recruiting, but it’s the retention that needs some work.

Super Mario dancers Estevan Recreational Dance Club’s recital had 150 performers on stage and a few hundred of guests who filled the cafetorium at the Estevan Comprehensive School during two shows on March 16. A junior/intermediate group performed with the Super Mario ballet. Artists wearing traditional Nintendo-game colours, from left, Ellie Packer, Kate Dalziel and Giona Fagerheim were a part of this dance. For more on the recital see page A3. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Ministry’s office in Estevan to undergo change Estevan is one of the communities impact by a change in service delivery from the Ministry of Environment. Beginning this spring, the ministry will no longer offer walk-in service to the public in 19 ministry field offices. Front counter services will be discontinued in Estevan, as well as Assiniboia, Big River, Buffalo Narrows, Humboldt, Île-à-la-Crosse, Kindersley, Leader, Lloydminster, Maple Creek, Moose Jaw, Outlook, Pinehouse, Preeceville, Shaunavon, Southend, Spiritwood, Wadena and Weyburn. Dates for this change will vary from April 1 to Oct. 1; most offices, including Estevan, will lose their front counter service on May 14. Kevin Murphy, who is the assistant deputy minister for the resource management and compliance division with the Ministry of the Environment, said the ministry studied the utilization of front counter services in a number of locations, particularly those that didn’t have counters open for most of the week. “We’ve determined that expectations of the public have changed. There is a significant utilization of the vendor network and our online services, and we felt that it was just a

good thing to be able to do to change the way that we’re delivering service,” Murphy said in an interview with the Mercury. It will allow the ministry to be able to provide other services as well. “We’ve made a shift in the way that we’re delivering service, and we’ll continue to look at public expectations,” said Murphy. The provincial government has been considering the change for about a year. Sixteen part-time staff and three full-time staff will be impacted by the change. The person who works out of the Estevan office is a full-time employee who is in the office from Monday to Thursday. The majority of the impacted offices (10) are currently only open twice a week. Clients formerly served in these locations will be encouraged to use electronic self-serve options such as the online hunting, angling and trapping licence (HAL) system, private licence vendors or one of the ministry’s 13 offices with front counter services. Conservation officers will remain working at the offices serving the impacted communities. Estevan currently has two conservation officers. If there is an emergency or an

enforcement issue, people are asked to contact the tips line at 1-800667-7561. “If it’s a non-emergent issue, our expectation is for people to contact the provincial inquiry centre line,” said Murphy. That number is 1-800-5674244, and they will then be directed to the relevant officers on duty. Hunting and angling licences can be purchased through private vendors, by phone or online through HAL system. “Sixty per cent of our licence sales are still with our vendor community, so that’s all the way from Canadian Tire and Cabela’s, down to local gas stations, service stations, etc.,” said Murphy. People are encouraged to use the online and vendor network, but if they don’t have Internet access, they can contact a regional office that will still provide front-line service. The nearest regional office is in Regina. An office in Moose Mountain Provincial Park still provides licence services, but not some of the other services. The ministry noted that in 2018, there were more than 409,000 hunting and angling licences sold in the province. The 19 impacted offices accounted for approximately two per cent of all provincial licence sales.

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