Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
The number of physicians practising at the Kindersley Clinic has grown to seven after the group practice welcomed three new physicians to the community in June.
A news release from Saskdocs on June 13 announced that four new physicians were bound for the Heartland Health Region after completing the field assessment portion of the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program. International medical graduates enter the SIPPA program and if they are successful in completing the program, they are issued licenses to practise medicine in the province.
Kindersley’s three newest physicians, Dr. Sudarshan Das, Dr. Surekha Pandipati and Dr. Samir Dawood, gather for a photo in front of the Kindersley Clinic. The three new physicians began practicing at the clinic in June bringing the total number of full-time physicians now practicing in the community to seven.
Of the new physicians in Heartland Health Region, one is practising in Biggar and the other three are practising in Kindersley.
The three new physicians in Kindersley are Dr. Sudarshan Das, Dr. Samir Dawood and Dr. Surekha Pandipati. The new additions to the group practice join existing physicians Dr. Stephanie Sabotie, Dr. Shagufta Tasveer, Dr. Michael Olabiyi and Dr. Harjeet Nanda.
There was a time when there were eight physicians practising in Kindersley, since the new clinic building was constructed, but the number dwindled to only one full-time physician at one point. Now there are seven.
In an interview, Das said he and the other new physicians completed the SIPPA program in May, and then they had to wait for their licenses to practise. He noted that his wife hopes to join him in Kindersley soon and, as of yet, they don’t have any children.
The doctors have received a warm welcome, he said.
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“The people are very warm, especially the support staff in the hospital, as well as in the clinic,” Das said, adding that the people have helped out by making their transition into the community very smooth. “They have been so good to us.”
Das, who is from a community in northeast India, said he spent four years living, learning and working in Toronto before coming to Saskatchewan. He said he is thankful to the province and the health region for giving him and his new colleagues the opportunity to start practising in Canada – something he came here to do.
The physician said he considers himself very fortunate because very few internationally-trained physicians get the opportunity to practise in Canada. He added that the facilities and people are nice in Kindersley, so his initial time in the community has been good.
Dawood, who is from Egypt, said he has gone through a lot to have the opportunity to start practising medicine again in Kindersley, so he is “very happy” to be in the community. Dawood said he is looking to build on his career in Kindersley.
He noted that he first settled in Mississauga, Ont., with with his family and his family could join him in Kindersley in the coming months. The physician said he believes practising in Kindersley is a good chance for him to start a new chapter in his life. Dawood said he is pleased to be working in a nice and clean clinic.
Pandipati is also from India and her family has joined her in the community. She said she is excited to be in Kindersley and she has enjoyed her time in the community so far. The town is small, but she said she likes the town and she looks forward to a good period in Kindersley.
“I’m looking forward to offer my services to the people of Kindersley,” Pandipati said, recognizing that she first came to Canada in 2014 and it has been quite a journey to get to her new destination. “I’m so happy to be here.”
She added that she has been in Kindersley for two weeks, but she had a chance to meet with local recruiters in February to learn more about the community. The three new physicians all completed three-month clinical field assessments at other group practices in Saskatchewan as part of the SIPPA process.
Gayle Riendeau, the interim CEO of Heartland Health Region, said the health authority has been trying for a long time to stabilize physician manpower resources in Kindersley, so it’s nice to add three new SIPPA graduates to help stabilize primary health-care services.
“We’re very pleased to be able to welcome these three new physicians and it does bring our number up to seven,” she said, adding that Heartland was privileged to have four seats in the January SIPPA intake and all four physicians were successful.
The interim CEO said having more physicians allows Heartland to stabilize the primary health-care services it aims to provide in Kindersley and to give people access to physicians when they need it. She noted that it would also help health officials to plan for more women’s health services, including obstetrics in the future.
Riendeau said the new physicians have to get settled into their new roles. She added that going from only a single full-time physician in Kindersley a short time ago to seven full-time physicians is great for the community.
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