Dear Sun Country Health District,
First, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Norbert Kovalovszky and I immigrated to Canada from Hungary when I was a young man in my twenties.
I found Canada to be a wonderful country with so many privileges that seemed to be taken for granted, which is why I feel compelled to bring my concerns out in the open
In the community of Kipling I have discovered there are a great many of my countrymen who have settled in the area. Visiting and working there it has come to my attention that there is no doctor serving the community with hospital privileges.
It seems to be a frivolous waste of tax dollars to pay registered nurses and support staff 12 hours per day to keep a hospital open only to advise patients that they have to pack up and travel to Arcola, some 50 kms. away to see a physician. Hopefully in that case Arcola isn't shut down for whatever reason!
Oh, and did you know that if an ambulance is called out they go to Broadview which is in the Regina-Qu'Appelle Health District!
It is my understanding that a new hospital is to be built in Kipling. I am trying to comprehend why a new building is being considered when you can't keep the present one open 24/7 due to the fact you don't have a resident doctor. Once the new hospital is completed the present nursing home will become vacant. Where does all the money come from? I can't help but wonder if you aren't putting the "cart before the horse".
Having no medical facility close is forcing many rural residents to move to more urban centres. Who will be left to pay the taxes? Land will eventually be sold and in many cases it will be to foreign investors!
In my native land of Hungary we have many highly educated medical professionals. Maybe it would be appropriate to recruit doctors from there to serve a community where they could converse with their countrymen and feel both at home and welcome. I believe it would be a sounder decision rather than recruiting those who will put in their time and move on leaving the community exactly as it was . . . without a resident doctor!
This is a beautiful country with so many freedoms and services. Let us not lose any of them!
Thank you and I look forward to your response.
Norbert Kovalovszky
