Dr. Bill Ruzycki (CHAT News file photo)

By Alex McCuaig

Family Doctors

Hat hospital in good shape but family MDs need protection, says local doc

Mar 21, 2020 | 12:55 PM

MEDICINE HAT – A local family doctor says COVID-19 protocols at the city’s hospital are solid with medical and operational staff at the facility working hard to keep people safe. But he’s adding that he would like to see more protective measures arranged for those practicing family medicine in the city.

Dr. Bill Ruzycki says there are multiple safety precautions being centered around the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital which is situated with adequate protective gear right now, calling the set up, “impressive.”

But there remains a risk to family practitioners who may not have access to same protective equipment but who continue to receive ill patients.

For walk-in clinics to continue to operate, Ruzycki says doctors and their staff need to stay healthy – not just from the COVID-19 virus but any cold or flu which will take them off the front lines of patient care.

“If we have a cold, we have to go home,” Ruzycki said.

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The doctor said while there is online options being offered, he noted some patients’ care is more nuanced and which a family doctor may be able to navigate more efficiently.

But local family physicians will need support to provide such care because, “they can’t make personal protection equipment out of air,” adding that a number of clinics may see reduced hours due to the situation.

Ruzycki praised Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Deena Hinshaw, for the work she has been doing during this pandemic.

Those comments stood in contrast to his feelings towards the level of trust between the medical community and provincial government.