SASKATOON - People in Saskatchewan awaiting a kidney transplant may have to fly to Edmonton for the operation because a key member of the province's transplant surgery team is ill.
The Saskatoon Health Region says the illness has led to a temporary suspension of Saskatchewan's kidney transplant program.
About 100 people across the province are currently on a waiting list
Sandra Blevins, a spokeswoman for the region, says if a kidney becomes available, the recipient will be flown to Edmonton by Saskatchewan's air ambulance for the surgery.
The nature of the team member's illness has not been disclosed and there is no indication of how long the suspension will last, but Blevins says the situation will be monitored on a weekly basis.
Blevins also says efforts continue to recruit more kidney specialists for Saskatchewan, but she admits the market for these specialists is very competitive.
