Joel Hill states that he transforms the information published on the website SCHA in the virtual map of the province.

It is easier to see information and understand what is happening in the province at a glanceexplains the designer.

” The software shows which services are available in your area. It makes you aware that the services you take for granted are not necessarily there. »

I have learned that healthcare incidents are not reported if they last less than seven dayslaments Mr. Hill. There is a lack of quality information. If you look at the map, there is a mix of radiology and ER disorders.

The programmer believes the map will be helpful to people in rural Saskatchewan who are facing service disruptions.

As an example, Joel Hill cites Biggar’s emergency services, which have been temporarily reduced since Jan. 9.

Inspired by a tweet

According to Joel Hill, the map will help Saskatchewan residents better understand the strain on the healthcare system exacerbated by the pandemic.

” Our province is struggling to deal with a pandemic. It was an opportunity for me to do something instead of just complaining about the problem. I wanted to contribute to the solution. »

The designer said he was inspired by a tweet from a local doctor showing a photo of a hand-assembled card with pins.

The map highlighted Saskatchewan’s problems very well, but it was entirely manual. I thought I could do all this automatically‘ says Hill.

A continuous effort

The map is already in use, but Hill says it’s a work in progress and more features will be added in the future.

The Saskatchewan Department of Health and the SCHA said in a statement last week that they are aware of staffing shortages in emergency rooms.

With ongoing healthcare human resource challenges, some regions are facing overcapacity and service disruptions.

The Saskatchewan Health Department has not yet responded to a request for comment about this virtual map.

With information from Pratyush Dayal