By Kevin Gilby
CRAIK— Undeterred by the Craik Health Centre’s physician position going up for competition on Feb. 27, 70 people from Craik and Central Butte areas travelled by chartered bus and cars to the Legislature Building in Regina last Monday to let the government know they are frustrated over their dealings with the Five Hills Health Region (FHHR).
Gathering in front of the Legislature, the group rallied for their hospital and for physician Dr. Levi Karam while leaders of the opposition parties addressed the crowd acknowledging the group’s concerns. Dr. Karam was present for the rally, shaking hands and receiving well wishes and words of encouragement from those in attendance.
Karam spoke briefly to reporters about the government before the beginning of Question Period stating, “If they come out to Craik and say what can we do to help you deliver better health care in Craik? One thing, let the ambulance stop. Period.”
Filling the west gallery of the Legislative Assembly, the visitors were welcomed by Opposition leader Cam Broten, Premier, Brad Wall and Minister of Rural and Remote Health Greg Ottenbreit.
Despite repeated calls from Broten for Wall to meet with the delegation after question period, the Premier only replied that, “We want the best possible health care for the people of Craik and area, for people all up and down No. 11” while listing the services presently provided to the community.
After question period, Ottenbreit met with Craik Mayor Rick Rogers, RM of Craik Reeve Hilton Spencer, Ret. Rev. David Ashdown, and Dr. Karam. During the meeting, the delegates “pushed hard for the ambulance services to be restored” to the community and to remove emergency on-call travel requirements from the physician contract under dispute.
“I think we made a few points,” Spencer told the group after the meeting. “We’ll have to wait and see. He doesn’t want to give up on the ambulance, but Dr. Karam was going at it pretty hard that we have to have it.”
Speaking generally about discussions with the community, Ottenbreit said, “We’ve agreed to everything the opposition brought forward in their petition, which was no closure of the facility, no renovation of the facility, and hire a doctor.”
“We’ve even gone further in writing and verbal form that the facility won’t close or no renovations will go on in the facility” he says. “I think the region was moving in that direction previously, but they’ve agreed to that they won’t go in that direction.”
Ottenbreit said that the community “presented something that is basically a full-on hospital service, we presented something in a very enhanced primary care model that will serve the Craik community very well.”
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