Teleradiology program at Oshki delivering results for remote First Nations residents
New technicians will help serve their communities
By Jim Kelly - Saturday, June 14, 2008
A group of young aboriginal men and women are expected to make a significant impact on health care in First Nations communities.
And others may soon be following in their footsteps.
The 11 are graduates of a radiological technician certificate program, allowing them to operate X-ray equipment.
All of the graduates are from isolated fly-in communities, and the training they received will eliminate a lot of the air ambulance transfers of patients to larger communities such as Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay for basic X-rays.
“This is something that will help our friends and families,” said Joshane Fiddler of Sandy Lake. Fiddler and Leslie Beardy of Deer Lake served as valedictorians for the graduating class.
Others receiving their certificates were: Cynthia Anderson of Wunnumin Lake; Drusilla Keetash and William Mishenene of Mishgeegogaming; Paula Ann McKay and Leighton Oskineegish of Nibinamik; Sandra Ann Meekis of Sandy Lake; Elaina Tracy Meekis of Deer Lake; Cepra Sugarhead of Kingfisher Lake; and Deborah Tait of Weagamow.
Fiddler is also a telemedicine co-ordinator, so after he takes X-rays of a patient he can send the pictures to other communities by secure Internet.
The students are trained to take basic X-rays, but are not trained to do more sophisticated diagnostic tests.
The course can take 14 months or longer and is conducted in four phases, said Rosie Mosquito, executive director of the Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education and Training Institute.
For the first three phases, instructors fly out to the remote communities for a week to train the students.
The fourth phase is two weeks of classroom instruction done in Thunder Bay at the training institute.
Mosquito said the benefits of the program for First Nations communities are huge.
“(Students) will be able to assist the physicians who service the communities,” she said following the graduation ceremony at the training institute located in Centennial Square.
“This will allow for a quicker turnaround time and this is a big step in the delivery of health-care services at the community level,” Mosquito said.
“And, the community will have one of their own providing this health service,” she said.