Porcupine Carragana Hospital resumes 24/7 emergency room service and acute care admissions

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is pleased to announce the full resumption of 24/7 emergency room (ER) services and acute care admissions at Porcupine Carragana Hospital in Porcupine Plain effective Monday, July 24, 2023, with the hiring of a new physician.

The SHA would like to welcome Dr. Mohammad Kafi to the community.  Dr. Kafi recently completed the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program and joins Dr. Hany Ibrahim to provide local coverage for acute care, emergency, and primary health care services in Porcupine Plain. 

The SHA is committed to fully restoring emergency services in Porcupine Plain. Porcupine Plain has been approved for a third physician position as part of an overall strategy for stabilizing emergency services in the community. Recruitment for this position is underway.

For the past few months, as part of the SHA’s strategy to stabilize emergency services in the community, physician coverage has been provided by Dr. Ibrahim, locum physicians as available, and the Virtual Physician (VP) pilot program. The VP pilot program is a temporary measure that uses HealthLine 811 to provide nursing staff with remote access to a physician located elsewhere in the province during periods of physician shortages or other coverage issues in a community.

Beginning July 24, ER coverage will be provided by Dr. Ibrahim and Dr. Kafi between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily. A virtual physician will continue to provide coverage nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. to ensure 24/7 access to emergency services. 

Access to emergency health services is also available by calling 911. If residents have questions about their health or mental health, professional advice is also available by calling 811 to reach the Saskatchewan HealthLine toll-free 24 hours per day.