Parents, Opposition speak out after gov’t fails to recruit gut doctor for kids

Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital short 15 pediatric specialists

REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition and concerned parents sounded the alarm on Premier Scott Moe’s failing healthcare staffing plan. The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital is short at least 15 pediatric specialists, forcing families to travel to Toronto for basic care.

“Saskatchewan is the birthplace of Medicare. Healthcare should be available when and where we need it, not two provinces away,” said Opposition Leader Carla Beck. “The longer this provincial government is in power, the further our friends and families will have to travel for basic care.”

The Official Opposition was joined at the Legislature by Kaitlyn and Jordi Soron. Their two-year-old daughter has been in pain for most of her life and needs care from a pediatric gastroenterologist - a gut doctor for kids.

With no pediatric gastroenterologist in Saskatchewan, their family doctor has had no choice but to give their infant daughter stronger and stronger pain medication to counteract her worsening condition. The family is now forced to travel to Toronto for healthcare services once provided in Saskatchewan.

According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, Saskatchewan is one of only three provinces, and the largest by population, without a pediatric GI. Quebec has 15 active pediatric GIs, Ontario has 16, British Columbia has 7, Manitoba has 2, and Nova Scotia has 1.

And it is not only pediatric gastroenterologists. Government figures indicate that the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital is short specialists of all kinds.

Specialist by position	JPCH Staff Target	2024 Vacancies	2024 staffing coverage
Pediatric cardiologists	4	1	75%
Pediatric emergency room specialists	4.5	2	45%
Pediatric infection disease	1.5	1	33%
Pediatric gastroenterologists	2	2	0%
Pediatric nephrologists	2	2	0%
Pediatric neurologists	3	1	33%
Pediatric rheumatologists	2	1	50%
General pediatricians	7.8	3	62%
Pediatric respirologists	2	1	50%
Pediatric general surgeons	2.5	0	100%
Neonatal specialist	5	1	80%

JPCH coverage calculated measuring gov’t targets against SaskDocs vacancies on 4/10/24

“We need to take care of the healthcare workers who take care of us,” said Rural and Remote Health Critic Jared Clarke. “This provincial government has not been listening to the people on the frontlines of our hospitals. Until that changes we’ll keep losing doctors and nurses to other provinces.”

Premier Scott Moe has repeatedly lauded his healthcare recruitment ‘plan’ as the “most ambitious” in Canada. Parents and the Official Opposition have sounded the alarm on the exodus of medical specialists for over a year after Saskatchewan lost its only pediatric gastroenterologist.

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