The board of directors of the Sun Country Health Region are backing a proposal that was taken to the Health Ministry in early January, seeking a CT scanner for St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan.
Asked by The Mercury if the board members were fully apprised of the proposal and its implications, board chairwoman Marilyn Charlton said they were, and they fully backed the Energy City's bid. She spoke to the issue on Jan. 30 following the board's monthly business meeting.
The idea that was taken directly to Health Minister Dustin Duncan was that Estevan, through the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation, would make the capital purchase of the $1.2 to $1.5 million CT scanning device that aids the X-ray and imaging units in diagnosing all types of injuries and medical conditions. Sun Country, and by extension, the Health Ministry, would only be responsible for the cost of operating and maintaining the unit.
Shortly after visiting with Duncan, St. Joseph's executive director Greg Hoffort said he felt the local delegation caught Duncan's attention with the unique prospect of a local committee shouldering the capital purchase burden in an effort to get CT service into southeast Saskatchewan. Citing the proposal as one that would be very nearly impossible to say no to, Hoffort said he felt the local committee made their pitch and engaged in a good two-way discussion with Duncan and his ministry officials.
In a later interview with The Mercury, Duncan admitted that the offer and suggestions did grab his attention as well as that of his officials and the matter was receiving serious review.
"The proposal came in a bit different from what we expected. Of course there is no normal process when requesting a CT scanner," Duncan said at the time.
The health minister went on to say the deliberations would then focus on whether the hospital in question is meeting their benchmarks in terms of patient volumes and if a scanner would help them raise that bar to a new service level.
The local committee members who visited with Duncan did include one Sun Country board member, Gary St. Onge. Along with Hoffort and St. Onge, the other delegates making the trip to Regina were Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles, Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig and St. Joseph's board chairman Don Kindopp.
St. Joseph's is considered an affiliate facility within the Sun Country Health Region and the largest such health-care facility in the region that serves approximately 59,000 people.
Charlton said the Sun Country board, although they had only one member representing them at the meeting, was kept aware of the proposal and lent their support to the Estevan and area bid.
