Sask Minister of Health Questioned in Leg Assembly Over the Closure of Regina Gyne Onc Office
of the
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
N.S. VOL. 52 NO. 42A MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010, 1:30 p.m.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SASKATCHEWAN 4697 April 12, 2010
April 12, 2010 Saskatchewan Hansard 4705
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS
Ms. Junor: — Mr. Speaker, I too on behalf of the opposition want to welcome the members from the Red Hat Society, all the women that have come today. From what I know about this group, not only are they very visible because of their hats — and it’s unfortunate that the member didn’t wear hers; that would have been entertaining — I understand that these women are extremely enthusiastic and they have a lot of fun. That’s what I always hear, that you have a lot of fun. Look at all the hats nodding. So I too would like to welcome all the women here today to the legislature.
While I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, I want to introduce others who are in the gallery. On the very top row is Darlene Gray, the director of OCATS, the Ovarian Cancer Awareness and Treatment in Saskatchewan, and Elan Morgan board member. Wave? And sitting beside Elan are Joan and Harvey Schneider, also board members. I just want to say about Joan before I sit down and welcome them, Joan was the executive secretary to the president of SUN [Saskatchewan Union of Nurses] when that was me. So I’m very happy to see Joan here today and welcome them all to the Assembly.
QUESTION PERIOD
Gynecologic Oncologists
Ms. Junor: — Mr. Speaker, for two years the minister has ignored the pleas of women with ovarian cancer and gyne-oncologists to address substandard working conditions in southern Saskatchewan. As a result, Dr. Brydon, one of only two gyne-oncologists practising in southern Saskatchewan, has closed her practice because she is burned out. To quote Dr. Brydon, “Physically and emotionally, I can’t cope any more.”
Mr. Speaker, the minister’s incompetence and failure to address the substandard working conditions of gyne-oncologists in Regina is putting at risk the lives of women with ovarian cancer. Why?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Health.
Hon. Mr. McMorris: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the government, we want to thank Dr. Brydon for all the work that she has done in southern Saskatchewan. These people are very specialized doctors. They are, Mr. Speaker, gynecology oncologists, which is a very specialized area. We have had four in our province, Mr. Speaker. Dr. Brydon is closing her practice to move on to other options. The health region, the health region as well as the government, is working hard to ensure that that position will be filled, Mr. Speaker.
But what I will say is that in the last two and a half years of our government, we have done more to recruit physicians into this province compared to the 16 years. And especially when you look at the front page of the Leader-Post, from 2001 to 2006 the net out-migration of health care workers in Saskatchewan was 1,160 health care workers out, Mr. Speaker. In our first two and a half years, we have attracted 164 more physicians to our province than under that government, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Eastview.
Ms. Junor: — Mr. Speaker, that tired rhetoric is no consolation to women who have ovarian cancer. Mr. Speaker, in every other jurisdiction, including Saskatoon, gyne-oncologists work in a hospital setting with the proper support around them — not so in Regina where the specialists have to find their own office space and work without the support of a nurse.
Mr. Speaker, to the minister: is he going to provide immediate office space and examining room space in the Regina General Hospital along with the proper nursing support, or is he going to continue to ignore the issue until the second gyne-oncologist closes her practice?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Health.
Hon. Mr. McMorris: — Mr. Speaker, we have a gynecological oncology program working group that was established, Mr. Speaker, under our government. This working group has patient support, is represented through patient support groups. It also has a gynecology oncologist, the four that were in the province, working on this group as well as the health authorities of Regina Qu’Appelle, Saskatoon, and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to deal with this issue to have an ongoing program.
Mr. Speaker, the ministry officials have informed me that progress is being steadily made, Mr. Speaker. And yes, there are going to be decisions made by physicians to step aside. But, Mr. Speaker, we’re going in the right direction. It isn’t the working of that group . . .
[Interjections]
The Speaker: — Order. Order. I’d ask the opposition members to give the minister the same opportunity to respond as the government gave the member to ask the question. I recognize the minister.
Hon. Mr. McMorris: — Mr. Speaker, it isn’t the working of that group that would get into the micromanagement of what happens within a health region or the Cancer Agency. That is the auspices of the Cancer Agency or the regional health authority in their particular area, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Eastview.
Ms. Junor: — Mr. Speaker, this is clearly a lack of leadership. The working group has been ongoing for over two years. They’re going to just keep spinning their wheels unless the minister says, do this. The minister’s incompetence and failure to address the problems means there’s now only one gyne-oncologist looking after all of southern Saskatchewan women. This will put additional pressures on the remaining gyne-oncologist and potentially will increase the wait time for women who are waiting for even an initial diagnosis.
My question to the minister is this: will the Sask Party government be forced to send women out of the province for diagnosis and treatment because of their incompetence and failure?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Health.
Hon. Mr. McMorris: — As I had mentioned earlier that the health region, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region will be working hard in the next . . . in the past but as we move forward over the next month or so to attract another gyne-oncologist into the province. I am very proud of our government having set up a physician recruitment agency that will deal with this very issue, these very issues, Mr. Speaker.
Unfortunately that hadn’t been done for many, many years — never even contemplated under the former government when we saw hundreds and hundreds of doctors leaving this province, Mr. Speaker. In the last two and a half years, we’ve seen more doctors come to the province than leave — an increase of about 164. There is more work to do. That’s why we set up a recruitment agency, Mr. Speaker. And that’s why we’ve also increased the number of training seats in the College of Medicine and the number of residency positions, up to 108 residency positions in the province, Mr. Speaker, that will bode this province very well into the future.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Eastview.
Ms. Junor: — Mr. Speaker, ducking and weaving, I mean there is no answer in the minister’s rhetoric. And Dr. Brydon’s leaving her practice now because the province will not set up a gyne-cancer unit in Regina. This unit would allow women to be diagnosed, treated, and receive follow-up care in one place. To quote Dr. Brydon:
I actually don’t think that the way the system is structured in this province at this time allows anybody to do the job that needs to be done properly and that is because we do not have a gynecologic women’s cancer unit the way all other provinces do.
Mr. Speaker, to the minister: is the minister going to establish a gyne women’s cancer unit in the province now, or is he going to wait and wait and wait, and talk and talk, and talk and continue to risk the lives of women with ovarian cancer?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Health.
Hon. Mr. McMorris: — Mr. Speaker, we know and understand the very importance of this issue, Mr. Speaker. That’s why we set up a working group that has patient representative groups on it, that has the oncologists on it, that has the Cancer Agency, that has the health regions, to look at how to best manage this project, Mr. Speaker. There has been progress made, absolutely. But it’s interesting that they would stand and criticize the way the program and the way the health system is being run, when they have been in government for 16 years prior, setting up the very program they’re criticizing now, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we’re looking at how we can improve this program as we move forward. We’re looking at how we can have the proper complement of gyne-oncologists within the province, Mr. Speaker, because we know that it is a very important issue, and we’re working to improve the health of women in our province, Mr. Speaker.
