Inuvik (Apr 07/06) - Health officials and community leaders want to hire their own surgeons for the Inuvik hospital.

Right now, they can only hire general practitioner (GP) physicians who have surgical qualifications. Because the doctors are only paid the GP rate, hiring the doctors they need is proving difficult, say health officials.

Surgeons are needed in the Beaufort Delta region, say community leaders, but can only be hired by Stanton Territorial Health Authority in Yellowknife. Leaders in Inuvik are in talks with the health minister to change policies that would allow Inuvik to hire its own surgeons. - photo courtesy of the Beaufort Delta health and social services authority

Under the government policy, only Stanton Territorial Health Authority can hire medical specialists.

Inuvik Regional Hospital medical director Dr. Braam de Klerk works as surgeon with anaesthetic certification.

He performs some minor emergency surgeries, but most of the 850 operations that take place in Inuvik each year are done by specialists visiting from Yellowknife.

There are also about 140 births a year at the Inuvik hospital, and an average of 15 caesarean sections.

De Klerk has been in Inuvik since 1990, and Inuvialuit Regional Corp. president Nellie Cournoyea said it's time to start planning for the day he leaves.

"This is creating a situation where our surgery room might not exist," said Cournoyea.

She said in order to fill de Klerk's shoes as a specialist in Inuvik, the health authority needs to be able to hire its own staff, including medical specialists.

"They are letting us have some surgeons, but not paying them correctly," she said. "There is no getting around the fact that the policy must be changed."

"It'll be even harder to recruit doctors to come here," said Cournoyea.

"They want to be hired for their experience and also get the benefits they deserve."

During a recent meeting of the regional council, a motion was passed to request hiring authority for specialists, and funding to pay them accordingly.

Health minister Michael Miltenberger said he met with the regional council in February, and the need for surgical services was addressed. "We are working out an agreement with the ministers and doctors," said Miltenberger.

The process is underway, and results should be had within the next few weeks, said Miltenberger.

"The community is truly blessed to have a specialist like Dr. Braam de Klerk with them for so long."

Miltenberger said that when de Klerk retires, the region may face the issue of reduced surgical services.

"We are working to ensure that there will be no breaks in the services offered to the Beaufort Delta," he said.

Bob Simpson, acting regional co-ordinator for the Beaufort Delta regional council, said surgeons are needed to be able to keep as many Delta patients close to home as possible.

"People from surrounding communities would need to be medevaced even farther away for treatment," said Simpson.

Even if surgeries were done in Yellowknife, Simpson said a surgeon should still be in charge of the after-care when patients return home.