Released on March 9, 2015
Access to physician care continues to improve for residents in communities all across Saskatchewan. Three new family physicians are now practising in Regina and Fort Qu’Appelle, thanks to the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program.Dr. Faiza Shahbaz (Regina), Dr. Radhika Marwah (Regina), and Dr. Ivor Orukpe (Fort Qu’Appelle) join many other International Medical Graduate (IMG) colleagues already practising in Saskatchewan. SIPPA is a made-in-Saskatchewan program that assesses IMGS on their education and clinical ability before allowing them to practise medicine. Since the program began in 2011, more than 160 new family physicians have completed the assessment and have fulfilled or are fulfilling their service commitment to the province.
“People across Saskatchewan are benefiting from better access to doctors because of the SIPPA program,” Rural and Remote Health Minister Greg Ottenbreit said. “Internationally-trained doctors play an important role in our health system, and we welcome them and their families to our growing province.”
“SIPPA continues to support us in our efforts to fill our hard-to-recruit family medicine positions,” Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region Director of Practitioner Staff Affairs Erin Roesch said. “We are very pleased with the results to date and join in welcoming another three new physicians to Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region.”
“I recognize the continuing need to have more family physicians serving patients across Saskatchewan, and I am encouraged by the success of the SIPPA graduates,” SIPPA Medical Director for the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan Dr. Jon Witt said. “SIPPA is proving to be one valuable avenue we can use to address our need for more family doctors. I am very pleased to be working with our rural communities, saskdocs and the province to provide IMGs with opportunities to live and work in Saskatchewan.”
In addition, a total of 16 new IMGs from the January intake are now completing their clinical field assessments. If successful, these family physicians will begin practising across the province this spring.
“We hope these internationally-educated physicians will sink roots in our communities and find life in Saskatchewan enjoyable for themselves and their families,” saskdocs’ CEO Dr. Dennis Kendel said. “Our lives are enriched by the diversity they bring to our medical profession.”
In addition to attracting IMGs, Saskatchewan is making progress keeping more locally-trained family medicine graduates in the province. The retention rate of family medicine graduates trained at the University of Saskatchewan has jumped by 17 per cent over the past two years – from 58 per cent to 75 per cent.
Physicians interested in working in Saskatchewan are encouraged to contact saskdocs directly at info@saskdocs.ca or call toll-free (in North America) 1-888-415-3627 or 306-933-5000.
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For more information, contact:
Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: tyler.mcmurchy@health.gov.sk.ca
James Winkel
saskdocs
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-933-5094
Laura Herman
College of Medicine
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-262-6059