February, 2022 is a month that 52-year old Gravelbourg resident, Ron Gall, won’t soon forget. “It all started on a Sunday, when I woke up at 5 a.m. in pain,” Ron explains. “I went to the local hospital, where they thought I was having a gall bladder attack. They sent me home, but I was back the next day when the pain returned.”
Ron was taken, by ambulance, from Gravelbourg to the hospital in Moose Jaw but it was determined he ultimately needed to be seen by a gastrointestinal specialist. He was then transferred by ambulance to Regina’s Pasqua Hospital in order to be seen in our Gastronintestinal (GI) unit.
Pasqua Hospital is home to the only dedicated GI fluoroscopy system in the province. It is a special type of imaging system that uses X-ray technology to allow our specialists to view the patient’s body in real time as it moves. Thousands of people from across the province are referred here each year, and the GI Unit uses the fluoroscopy system to help an average of 5 patients every day. Our doctors used the fluoroscopy system to look inside Ron’s gall bladder and, due to the number of gall stones and other blockages, the decision was made to remove it surgically.
“I’m definitely grateful that the team at the Pasqua Hospital had such advanced technology available to them,” says Ron. “On top of that, the quality of care was incredible. I was treated professionally and with dignity throughout the experience, which I certainly appreciated.”
Ron is well acquainted with the life-saving care at Regina’s hospitals. In 2014, he spent 17 days in a coma at Regina General Hospital after an industrial accident. His recovery from that accident also included spending almost a year at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, relearning how to walk and talk.
“Obviously, a person never wants to experience serious medical emergencies,” Ron observes. “But if you do have to, it’s a comfort to know such world-class care is available right here in southern Saskatchewan.”
Today, Ron is back at home in Gravelbourg and looking forward to resuming his duties as the town’s maintenance person and rink attendant.
“Ron’s story simply reminds us why it’s so important to invest in the priority needs of our hospitals,” said Dino Sophocleous, president and CEO Hospitals of Regina Foundation. “That’s why our Foundation is investing $1.7million in a new dedicated GI fluoroscopy system and other technology for the GI Unit at Pasqua Hospital. That investment will help our medical teams continue providing outstanding health care to our southern Saskatchewan community, but also to people from across our province.”