Universities, hospitals relieved by Saudi extension

With some Saudi Arabian students in Canada given an extension to their departure date, universities in Calgary continue to assess the impact the exodus will have.

According to HealthCareCAN, a national group that represents hospitals and health care organizations, the 1,000 medical residents and fellows who have been recalled were first told they had to leave Canada by Aug. 31. They were then given a three-week extension to Sept. 22, but now have been told they can stay.

For now. Paul-Émile Cloutier, president and CEO of HealthCareCAN, said the extension is a “relief.”

“It eased the tension that existed, allowing them to continue to do their training in Canada,” Cloutier said. “It also helps our institutions to really allow them to be more organized in their planning.”

The decision to recall students studying and training in Canada was prompted by a tweet from Global Affairs Canada that expressed concern about the fate of a number of activists arrested in Saudi Arabia. The activists could potentially face the death penalty, including by beheading.

“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi,” the tweet said. “We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists.”

Human Rights Watch notes Badawi was one of the first activists to petition Saudi authorities to allow women the right to drive as well as vote and run for office in municipal elections.

About 15,000 students from Saudi Arabia have been told by their government to leave Canada. There is no word on whether those not studying medicine have been given an extension.

Of that number, there are 65 students attending the University of Calgary affected by the Saudi kingdom’s decision to recall its citizens.

“The University of Calgary continues to assess the impact on its current Saudi Arabian students of the decision by Saudi officials to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools,” said a statement from the U of C to Postmedia.

The U of C also said it is working closely with each of its Saudi Arabian students to provide them with support.

Of the 65 affected, U of C said 23 are graduate students, nine are undergraduate students and eight are continuing education language students.

There are also 25 students in the postgraduate medical education program at U of C’s Cumming School of Medicine who will be affected.

At Mount Royal University, there is only one student affected.

Cloutier said the extension will provide hospitals and administrators with some time to develop and implement a mitigation program to “go forward without these individuals who are certainly filling a major service to our Canadian patients.”

However, Bruce Conway, senior adviser of media relations with Alberta Health Services, said they are confident patient care will not be affected by the student exodus.

“In Alberta, residents and fellows have important roles in delivering care to patients. However, all patients are ultimately under the care of a ‘most responsible physician’ who is a fully qualified physician, licensed by the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons, credentialed and privileged by Alberta Health Services,” said Conway in an emailed statement to Postmedia.

“Learners from foreign countries, including Saudi Arabia, make up a very small proportion of the number of medical students and residents training in Alberta. The vast majority of medical students and residents training in Alberta are Canadian citizens.”