The urology program at Grande Prairie Regional Hospital is fully re-opening its doors for service after three urologists were recruited to practice in the city.
The program partially re-opened in the fall of 2023 when urologic surgeon Dr. Sai Vangala started practicing in Grande Prairie. Last fall urologist and uro-oncologist Dr. Ahmed Kotb and general urologist Dr. Oguz Ozcan both started practicing in Grande Prairie expanding the range of services the program can offer at the hospital.
MLA for Grande Prairie Nolan Dyck says the effort being put into recruiting doctors to the region is seen with the trio of specialists coming to the area.
“The relaunch of urology services at the hospital is great news. With three urologists now in town, residents can access more comprehensive care closer to home,” Dyck says.
MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti, and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health North Ron Weir echoed his colleague’s comments about the news being a positive for the Grande Prairie region.
“Residents will benefit from the specialty care these physicians offer for a variety of urological conditions. Healthcare access is continuously improving to meet the needs of our community, and the relaunch of urology services demonstrates that,” Weibe states.
According to Alberta Health Services officials Dr. Vangala came to the region after receiving his medical training at the University of London in the United Kingdom with his urology surgery residency taking place at the University of Toronto. Dr. Kotb has over two decades of experience in clinical practice, starting his medical journey in Egypt and later receiving his PhD in epidemiology from McGill University. According to AHS officials, Dr. Kotb holds qualifications for urology in both Europe and Canada. Dr. Ozcan is originally from Turkey and is a European Board of Urology-certified urologist who has 18 years of experience.
