Family physician Dr. Ishpinder Singh Ranu is a welcome addition to Carlyle's Primary Health Clinic. Dr Ranu, his wife Sapna and their son Fateh, 6, and daughter Savreen, 3months, have come to Carlyle after seven years in Calgary, where Dr. Ranu was a clinical assistant at a family medicine clinic and Sapna worked as a registered nurse on a medical and surgical unit for Alberta Health Services.
The Ranu family's move to rural Saskatchewan is the result of their wish to raise their children in a small town environment.
“I grew up in Punjab-in northern India,” Dr. Ranu explains. “My father was a farmer in India. He grew wheat, rice and also corn. I know that lifestyle and it's still here.”
“I can relate to the people here and it's really good to serve the people in a rural area.”
Dr. Ranu studied in India and received his medical degree from Pavlov Medical University in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“I always wanted to explore things,” he smiles. “So I chose to study there. I can understand and speak Russian and as a result of that experience, I know winter, too!”
After working in India and Calgary, Dr. Ranu passed his SIPPA (Saskatchewan International Physician Assessment) exams, he fulfilled the assessment portion of the SIPPA program by practicing medicine in Meadow Lake, Rosthern and Melville.
The Ranus say they have already experienced a warm welcome to this part of Saskatchewan and are looking forward to enrolling Fateh in grade one at Carlyle Elementary School this fall.
“Everyone here has been very friendly,” says Dr. Ranu. “The (medical) staff in both Carlyle and Arcola and of course, the people.”
“We are also very thankful to the administration from the Town of Carlyle,” he adds. “Huguette (Lutz) and Brian and Michelle Romaniuk have helped us a lot.”
“We are all looking forward to life here.”
