Gov’t orders review of alleged misconduct, racism at Regina hospitals

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More than a year after several Regina doctors filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission alleging racism and unprofessionalism, the government has ordered a third-party review to improve working conditions at Regina’s hospitals.

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On Monday, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill announced the province has hired two consultants from Ontario and Nova Scotia to look into reports of misconduct over the past two years.

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While not delving into specifics, Cockrill said the allegations are “something that we take very seriously.”

The issue was raised last November by members of the Opposition, with NDP MLA Noor Burki saying: “imagine foreign health-care workers looking up work conditions in this province and finding this story. They can go anywhere. Will they want to come work here?”

The complaint was filed on Oct. 5, 2023 by 10 doctors — all trained in Africa and East Asia. They allege that, following a change in leadership at the Regina General Hospital, there were scheduling adjustments made to give primarily white doctors premium teaching shifts, which come with an additional stipend and professional opportunity.

Opposition health critic Vicki Mowat noted Monday that concerns over alleged discrimination were raised a year ago and she called for “swift action” to address the situation.

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The third-party review — scheduled to get underway with remote interviews in the new year — is to focus on assessing current strains and stresses within the Regina medical community. A news release from the government states it will “identify the root causes of the problems and provide recommendations to the ministry and SHA (Saskatchewan Health Authority).”

Cockrill says the review is to include interviews with management and staff. At this time, the government says it expects the review to be completed by spring 2025.

In a letter published Dec. 10, Saskatchewan Medical Association president Dr. Andre Grobler said he’s met several times with the ministry to highlight concerns, including these issues specific to Regina.

“We hope the review leads to a better understanding of the workplace challenges experienced by Regina physicians and finds opportunities to create a better environment to retain our current physicians and to recruit our future colleagues,” said Grobler.

As part of the external review, Gobler said “the reviewers should interview a broad range of physicians, those working in a hospital environment and those practicing in community-based clinics.”

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The SMA is urging the ministry to be as transparent as possible throughout the review process and share its findings.

Meanwhile, the Opposition moved an emergency motion on Monday to create a bipartisan task force

According to Mowat, the aim is to “engage with community stakeholders, health-care workers, families, and experts to address the issues facing our health-care system and propose solutions.”

During Monday’s question period, Premier Scott Moe said “this is not a time for committees. This is a time for action. It’s a time for investment. It’s a time for continued investment.”

Although the motion ultimately failed, Cockrill mentioned the proposed nursing task force to which his government committed before the fall election.

“We’ve heard a lot about this task force,” said Mowat, “but no action has been taken from this minister yet.”

— with files from Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press

alsalloum@postmedia.com

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