Sask. family frustrated with lack of pediatric gastroenterologists in province

A Saskatchewan family left for Alberta on Tuesday to seek medical care for their child, an eight-year-old boy who had been a patient at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon with a stomach ailment.

The only remaining pediatric gastroenterologist has resigned so the child, Casten, was discharged from the hospital and was referred to an out of province hospital.

Casten and his mother, Krista, were at the Saskatoon airport to catch a hastily arranged flight to Edmonton, where Casten will be able to receive medical help.

“They have run some tests and done as much as they can from here and got him fitted and hooked up with a NG tube because he can no longer eat,” Reid said.

Casten had been at the children’s hospital for a week but couldn’t be seen by a specialist. The only pediatric gastroenterologist is leaving next month and is not accepting new patients.

“We are catching a flight to Edmonton because after countless emails, phone calls and many hours of hard work by our pediatricians here at the hospital, they’ve been able to find us a doctor at the Stollery [Children’s Hospital] that’s willing to take Casten on as his patient,” Reid said.

A specialist has agreed to see the boy in Edmonton, Alta., but the family has to cover the cost of air transportation and accommodations.

“There’s many children here that need a GI specialist and the fact that I just had to shell out $1,100 for a one way plane ticket for Casten and I, I feel is not right,” Reid said.

Saskatchewan has funding designated for three pediatric gastroenterologists and is searching.

“I would say that we have plans and recruitment plans in place to do what we can to replace not only that position but I understand that we need more than just the one,” said Premier Scott Moe.

The health ministry says it’s working on a contingency plan with specialists in other provinces to see Saskatchewan patients. The Reid family feels the government should have been on top of things.

- With files from CTV News Saskatoon