My husband has been seeing Dr. Mahrous since she came to Humboldt. She has provided him with great care over this time and we are saddened to see her go, but we understand the stress there is in her job. We wish her well out east with her family.
I find it shameful that Humboldt, which services 30,000 to 35,000 people, cannot retain doctors. I spoke with the recruitment center in Saskatoon and they assured me that Humboldt has more doctors coming. Part of the problem, from my view, is that despite the lack of doctors, there is a lack of clinics and perhaps even a minor emergency clinic to decrease the stress at the hospital.
Humboldt has grown to a city and should consider offering a new clinic location to new doctors close to the new hospital. A minor emergency clinic could be used to ease the load off the doctors' schedule in the clinic to provide patients with injections such as B12, DepoProvera and other meds.
And if not a minor emergency clinic, perhaps an ambulatory care unit to provide these services. It is shameful that Humboldt continues to lose really exceptional doctors (yes, the ones we have are exceptional, too) to the big cities. I can name a few, but that won't do anyone any good.
Patients need to be considerate as well. I have been one of those people in the ER going to see someone and when one is greeted with annoyance by the nurse because of the time of day, there is also an issue. When I arrive at midnight because the wait in Saskatoon is three to four hours and the drive home is shorter, there is a reason I am there and it is the nurses' job to be there.
We have also been in the ER and left to return later (the next day) because of the load at the hospital. So be considerate - your child's scraped knee or clear runny nose doesn't need to be seen right away. If your child falls and is hurt probably - this is why there is a toll free health line number.
Just be considerate. Our doctors do not need you to make an appointment just so you can have a visit with someone, and our doctors need to take into consideration that if a patient is stable on their meds, they need not come in every three months for a renewal, thus freeing up time in the clinic.
It is disappointing trying to make an appointment only to be asked "have you ever seen this doctor before?" and if you haven't, you won't get in to see anyone because of the huge workload.
Although everyone needs a family doctor, others are in more need of them. My husband is one of them and without the transfer of care to another local physician, that leaves little choice but to go to Saskatoon or Prince Albert and get one there. I am willing to give up my family doctor and my children's family doctor just to provide someone else with a doctor.
To retain more doctors, the city needs to be a city, the health region needs to get more doctors that will stay, the province needs to promote our smaller towns so that our doctors in Humboldt are not driving all over to provide care. Plain and simple, Saskatchewan needs more doctors and they need incentives and commitments to get them into rural towns and cities.
With the lack of doctors taking patients, residents will start to look elsewhere which could harm Humboldt's growth factor - if I had to drive to one of the larger cities every three months or less, I would seriously consider selling and moving.
Again, thank you Dr. Mahrous for the great care and commitment to our small city. You will be missed by many.
