COVID-19 important topic during Sask. Medical Association president's virtual tour - CBC.ca

The president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) says everybody in the province needs to do more to overcome the current fourth wave.

This week Dr. Eben Strydom, president of the SMA, met with physicians from the Regina Qu'Appelle Regional Medical Association as part of the SMA's virtual president and vice-president's tour around the province.

"What I'm hearing is that physicians are struggling especially in the emergency rooms with the volumes," said Strydom in an interview with CBC. 

The SMA president or vice-president are stopping in every former health region during the virtual tour to meet with local physicians. 

Strydom said physicians are concerned about elective surgeries, which are being cancelled due to the record number of COVID-19 patients filling the hospitals. 

"The concern with the wait lists specifically is around the fact that many of the elective surgeries are not truly elective. Many of them are, you know, affecting people's lives, their quality of life," he said.

Besides concerns around emergency rooms and elective surgeries, physicians have also talked with Strydom about the pressures on rural emergency rooms and human resource issues there. 

During his tour, issues related to COVID-19 are in the forefront at the meetings.

"We're in a crisis or in a very difficult situation right now with regards to the capacity in the health system," he said.

"Our primary objective now needs to be how to handle what's happening and how to create capacity."

Reaction to premier's comments about doctors and COVID-19 

Earlier this week, Premier Scott Moe said in a news conference that there was an opportunity for the province's medical community to provide guidance to people, and he asked that physicians use their expertise to get more people vaccinated.

While some doctors in Saskatchewan were not happy about Moe's comments, Strydom said he knows where the premier is coming from. 

However, physicians have been very active throughout the pandemic, advocating for protective measures like masking, he said.

"I know how important this is, and that's why he made the comment," said Strydom.

"Can we do more? We can try."

5:24Doctors upset with Premier Scott Moe's message that they need to do more to educate the public on vaccines

Leisha Grebinski talks with Dr. Tamara Hintz to get her thoughts on what Premier Scott Moe had to say about health-care workers. 5:24

Strydom said everyone in the province needs to do more to fight COVID 19, which includes the government as well as the public.

Doctors know how important it is to address misconceptions that people might have about vaccinations and the pandemic, he said.

"This is a very important thing that affects us directly and we see the consequences of it," said the SMA president.

"It is a time consuming thing that one can't do fast."

Strydom said he encourages all patients who still have questions or concerns about COVID-19 vaccines to discuss them with professionals such as family physicians or other health care providers.

President's letter warns doctors about 'tough times ahead'

This is not the first time Strydom has spoken out about his concerns when it comes to the current COVID-19 situation in Saskatchewan.

In a recent letter to physicians in the province, the Melfort family physician wrote about the "tough times ahead."

"I have only received positive feedback from that," said Strydom about his letter.

"I think physicians understand the severity of the situation."

It's important for doctors to stand together now and to do everything to keep people safe, he said. 

Besides the importance of COVID-19 shots, other measures such as limiting social gatherings, wearing masks, or avoiding unnecessary travel are needed to curb the rising COVID-19 numbers

"We need to do all of these things in combination to have an effect on what's happening right at the moment," he said.

"I can't stress that enough."

Strydom said the province's current situation is costing lives.

On Thursday, Saskatchewan announced seven more deaths related to COVID-19.

Hospital numbers also continue to climb in the province, setting a new record for the fifth day in a row, according to the government's online COVID-19 dashboard.

"I think it's going to get worse before it's going to get better," said Strydom.

Hospitalization numbers usually lag a week to ten days behind the positive cases, so the SMA president said he expects numbers to get higher as the weekly average grows.

"Some people need to see this happening before they will believe it. But we need to stand strong and we need to continue to work hard to do whatever we can do to get people vaccinated."

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COVID-19 important topic during Sask. Medical Association president's virtual tour - CBC.ca
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