REGINA -- Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili was back in a familiar spot this weekend. It wasn’t debating on the floor of the Saskatchewan Legislature, but working as a doctor.
"There’s so many people stepping up in so many ways, this is a small contribution that I’m able to make and I’m honoured to be able to do that," Meili told CTV News on Monday.
Meili worked as a family physician before moving into politics. He let his medical license become inactive in 2018 to focus on his work as leader of the Official Opposition.
Meili approached the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan in early March about reactivating his license as cases of COVID-19 started to appear in the province.
He had his first shift at a testing and assessment site in Saskatoon on Sunday and says it was a nice change to return to medical work.
"It was sort of like, 'Oh yeah, I remember what this was like,' dusting off the stethoscope and thinking with a different part of my brain about physical exams," Meili said.
Meili plans on working at the testing site each Sunday for the foreseeable future.
He says it gave him a good idea of how hard the health care workers are working each day.
"The one big difference is I’m used to seeing people’s faces, the patients are masked, the staff is masked, so it’s an adjustment to be using [personal protective equipment]," Meili said.
According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, Meili is one of 19 doctors who have been issued emergency licenses to help health with the pandemic in the province.
The Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association and Saskatchewan College of Paramedics have also called on retired or inactive members to return to help out.
