The shovels haven't even hit the ground, but the future Children's Hospital of Saskatchewan is already making a big impact.
The fastest growing pediatrics department of any hospital in Canada right now is here in Saskatoon. More pediatric doctors are moving here, because they want to be part of the country's newest children's hospital. And that means our kids are getting better care already.
Doctor Roona Sinha left the British Columbia Children's Hospital for Saskatoon. "Having the children's hospital here, is a huge impetus for my coming here. And I think it's the same for a lot of the people around me, that it's a big reason for us to be involved in building programs and building what the future can be."
Dr. Sinha is one of several new specialty doctors in the pediatrics department. Since the hospital became a reality, the department has grown by 40 per cent, more than any other in the country.
Now, Royal University Hospital has specialty programs to deal with kids suffering from kidney problems, respiratory problems, diabetes, and now blood disorders, which is Sinha's specialty. She'll work with the cancer centre, and teach her specialty at the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.
It's been a long time since specialty doctors have wanted to come to Saskatchewan. But Sinha says the opportunity to build a hospital and its programs, from the ground up, is a tough job to turn down.
"Anytime I make a phone call regarding physician recruitment, now they listen to what I have to say and ask right away what stage are we in with the children's hospital."
