Sask. ‘close to a breaking point’ with lab tech shortage

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) states there’s a shortage of lab tech staff in Saskatchewan.

“We imagine we’re shut to a breaking level,” CEO Christine Nielsen stated.

The group is the certifying body for medical lab personnel in Canada. It sets qualification specifications, conducts exams and concerns credentials.

Nielsen states 150 fewer lab techs are in Saskatchewan when compared to 10 a long time back — a drop to 749 from 899.

“Even prior to the pandemic, testing was growing primarily based on the growing old population,” Nielsen claims, referring to program blood screening and pre-surgery screening that lab techs perform.

Nielsen claims the COVID-19 pandemic has brought forward a new workload and has produced a backlog for existing health-related strategies.

“Right now we have obtained a crunch. Everyone would like facts yesterday,” she claims.

Nielsen suggests with much less lab workers, there will be a “cascading effect” on the healthcare process with delayed analysis, which delays treatment method.

The team needs govt paying to deal with the shortage.

Nielsen suggests Canada desires much better bridging programs — in which staff who are trained internationally undertake a shorter plan. The normal lab tech program is two to 4 many years.

The team claims although enrolment into lab tech programs is up, schools facial area capability restrictions due to the fact of the clinical placements.

“What we have trouble with is the clinical placement, or the internship, at a clinic that is currently small-staffed,” Nielsen suggests.

The province’s only health care laboratory technological innovation system is at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Saskatoon Campus. It accepts 40 pupils for each year.

Jodi Thompson, the head of the plan, says it has expanded two times in the previous couple a long time.

“We’ve observed the alarm bells heading off for a though and then COVID-19 seriously pushed us past that,” Thompson tells CTV Information.

For the reason that the program has a medical placement, an in-medical center internship, there are potential restraints.

Thompson states simulation mastering could be a option.

“So there would still certainly be a need for some clinical placement, but there would also be simulation — palms-on, precise functions, accomplished in a safe atmosphere like a campus lab,” she suggests.

Thompson says adding far more seats into the system could also tackle the shortage, but that would have to have federal government funding.
