Sask. offering new incentives for high-demand medical residents

Saskatchewan is offering some hefty incentives in an effort to retain medical residents training in high-demand specialties.

The new incentive offers $30,000 per year to residents in emergency medicine, anesthesia and diagnostic radiology who are in their fourth and fifth years of training, up to $60,000. The incentive requires residents to agree to work in Saskatchewan for two years after their training is complete.

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Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said the goal is to keep the specialized doctors who are training in the province of Saskatchewan.

“Ensuring that we have the necessary health care providers in place to deliver timely and specialized care to patients is a critical priority for our government,” the minister said in a statement.

“We are committed to supporting the health care system to meet these essential needs.”

The incentive comes with an estimated cost of $1.1 million, and the provincial government noted that 27 residents in their fourth or fifth years of training are currently eligible.

Dr. Susan Shaw, the chief medical officer for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said medical specialists are essential in caring for patients across the province.

“Further investing in our medical residents helps us ensure physicians training in Saskatchewan will stay in Saskatchewan on completion of their training in Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology and Diagnostic Radiology,” Shaw said in a statement.

“This is also beneficial to our educational partner institutions and most importantly, the people of Saskatchewan who count on receiving the right care at the right time from the right health care provider.”

Cockrill said the provincial government will continue investing in new incentives as it works to recruit and retain more health-care professionals.

“These initiatives are showing success in reinforcing and stabilizing key areas of our health care system,” Cockrill added.

In the recent Throne Speech, the government promised to hire more health-care workers and work towards getting a primary health-care provider for every resident of Saskatchewan by 2028.