A Melfort family physician is now the President of the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA).
Dr. Eben Strydom was elected to the position at the Spring Representative Assembly on Friday, May 7 that was held virtually.
“It’s a great privilege and responsibility,” Strydom told northeastNOW. “But also a vehicle to talk to people and to help with the aspects and the problems that I’m familiar with, and dealing with on the Board of Directors, as well as a rural doctor.”
Strydom has been in Melfort since 2003 and is originally from southwest Africa. He said as president, he will look after all the physicians in the province but he has the main focus of family medicine. Strydom called family medicine the backbone of our medical system, but it’s having a “tough time” right now.
“My aims would be to try and work with the government, as well as the Saskatchewan Health Authority to improve the rural access,” he said. “And issues close to rural physicians.”
Strydom said he wants to improve recruitment and retention in the rural areas, not only for family physicians, but for support services as well including dietitians, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and more.
He said right now, the rural family physicians wear lots of hats, creating a strain on those doctors who are having to handle more than just general practicing.
“Which means that especially when we don’t have the optimal number of physicians working in a particular area,” Strydom said. “There’s more pressure on the other doctors.”
Strydom has been elected to a one-year term and has previously served as the SMA’s Honorary Treasurer, and most recently the Vice-President. He also previously served on the Kelsey Trail Regional Medical Association for 16 years.
Strydom replaces Dr. Barb Konstantynowicz, a Regina family physician.
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mat.barrett@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @matbarrett6
