The Northwest Territories has discouraged travellers from southern Canada since the spring as seen here at the B.C. border earlier this year. There has yet to be death from COVID-19 in the territory, where the fight against the virus has been joined by physicians from neighbouring Alberta. (Ryan Dickie/Winter Hawk Studios)

Northwest Territories makes needed adjustments to avoid the pandemic

Medical associations and governments are notoriously particular about who gets to practice medicine in their bailiwick.

Getting certified is never easy.

Of course, that was before COVID.

The Stanton Territorial Hospital under construction on Dec. 3, 2017 is seen from across Frame Lake. The Northwest Territories has relaxed its licensing rules to help gather forces to fight COVID-19. (Walter Strong/CBC)

Things change.

To wit:

Skirting normal licensing procedures, the government of the Northwest Territories has issued emergency licenses to 52 physicians and hired 38 virtual locums since March to combat COVID-19, according to a report by CBC News.

The licences, the CBC’s Anna Demarais reports, were issued either to bring in specialized medical staff in case of an emergency, or to allow Alberta medical professionals who already work with N.W.T. patients to continue offering virtual appointments in the territory.

Deputy Medical Director Dr. Katherine Kessler, who described the usual process of getting a N.W.T. medical licence as “onerous,” told Desmarais the emergency licenses allowed physicians to practice “in a couple of days.” 

Dr. Katherine Kessler is the Northwest Territory’s deputy medical director. (CBC/Anna Desmarais)

The quick turnaround, Kessler told Desmarais is important because the N.W.T. could become more dependent on Alberta physicians if any of their medical staff contracted COVID-19. 

“The N.W.T. has always relied on locum healthcare staff … because we don’t have enough people locally,” Kessler said.

Now, even the new rules have changed. 

Until this week, the licences were required for anyone in Alberta practicing virtual care in the N.W.T.

But in an effort to restrict movement during the pandemic, the N.W.T. Government on Wednesday said Alberta physicians would no longer need N.W.T. emergency licences to practice virtual care if they are in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. 

The rule turnabouts are part of a long medical history the territory and the province share.

The president of the Alberta Medical Association, Paul Boucher, told Desmarais Alberta has developed strong “linkages” with the North over the years, noting that Edmonton clinics get N.W.T. patient referrals, and Alberta locum doctors travel up to the North quite frequently and the licensing colleges are closely linked. 

Dr. Paul Boucher is president of the Alberta Medical Association. (albertadoctors.org)

That’s why, Boucher said, Alberta physicians should be willing to help out when they can. 

“I think it’s natural to be a bit protective in times of crisis but it’s really important for us to … help out in other places,” he said.

“I think the North, it being resource-limited, is always at risk.” 

For the record: there has yet to be a death from COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories.

COVID-19 IN THE N.W.T.
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2020. — Northwest Territories: 23 confirmed cases (eight active, 15 resolved, zero deaths). There was one new case Thursday from 42 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 2.4 per cent. The rate of active cases is 17.85 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been eight new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 7,594 tests completed. (The Canadian Press)

With files from CBC News ( Anna Demarais)

 

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