The province has recruited 14 new doctors who will be practicing in rural areas after completing the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment. (SIPPA)
Those doctors completed the SIPPA back in May, and are now starting in a variety of communities.
In the southeast, two doctors are coming to Estevan, with Norma Makram Aziz Abdelnour and Azadeh Fazel both practicing in the city.
As well, Carlyle will see Behzad Khorvash begin practice in town thanks to the program with Funmilola Abosede Ogundipe working in Kipling.
The province has increased the annual capacity of SIPPA from 45 to accommodate six to eight more seats which are divided across three assessment cohorts throughout the year.
The province says that the SIPPA program has allowed 307 doctors to practice in the province, with 74 per cent of them establishing a practice in rural communities.
"Ensuring that rural Saskatchewan has a robust health care system requires attracting and retaining top talent," said Rural and Remote Health Minister Tim McLeod. "SIPPA is pivotal in achieving this goal by providing international physicians with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and integrate into our smaller communities. We are committed to supporting this program and welcoming these dedicated professionals as they contribute to the health and wellbeing of our province."
SIPPA evaluates internationally trained and educated physicians based on their medical training and clinical ability as part of the licensing practice in Saskatchewan.
Doctors accepted into the SIPPA program agree to work in the province for a minimum of three years after the assessment.
"I am grateful for the ongoing collaboration and support from all stakeholders who work every day to make SIPPA a success," said SIPPA Program Director Dr. Jon Witt. "The contributions of our internationally trained physicians, who have chosen to build their careers in Saskatchewan, play an important role in supporting our health care services. Their commitment, alongside our collective efforts, helps ensure that we continue to support the health care needs of Saskatchewan communities."