Province Comments on La Loche Doctor Situation

Province Comments on La Loche Doctor Situation

Thursday, December 09, 2004 at 13:30

An official with the province’s Health department says he hopes the recent transition in La Loche involving its doctors does not hurt recruitment and retention efforts in the North.

The Saskatchewan Medical Association thinks it will.

But assistant deputy health minister Lawrence Krahn says the province supports the move toward primary health care teams, which the Keewatin Yatthe Regional Health Authority says was behind its decision to issue termination notices to the four doctors in La Loche.

One of those doctors has since been re-hired under a new contract, and another doctor has been brought in under the same arrangement.

Krahn says the province is still working on a framework agreement and a model contract with doctors over their role in a primary health care model — something he feels should eventually ease the SMA’s concerns.

Krahn also says the government continues to work with all regional health authorities to establish primary health care teams and sites.

However, he refuses to offer an opinion on how Keewatin Yatthe and the medical association are handling the situation in La Loche.