Alberta Health Services is announcing the arrival of new physicians in our region.

Dr. Mansour Abolghasemian and Dr. Sarup Sridharan are now practicing at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre., bringing the total number of permanent orthopedic surgeons at the hospital to four.

“The addition of Dr. Abolghasemian and Dr. Sridharan is exciting news for the Wood Buffalo region,” says Tany Yao, MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo.

“Having more access to orthopedic surgical services in the community ensures fewer patients have to travel out of the community for their procedures.”

This recruitment effort is part of the Alberta Surgical Initiative, which aims to enhance the accessibility of surgical care for patients in a timely manner.

“We identified a need within the community to enhance and expand our orthopedic surgical service offerings,” says Dr. Fauzia Haq Nawaz, Facility Medical Director for the hospital and Willow Square Continuing Care Centre.

“Having a full complement of orthopedic surgeons decreases surgical wait times and ensures we’re able to offer most types of orthopedic surgeries right here in Fort McMurray.”

Dr. Abolghasemian, relocated from Toronto and is internationally recognized for his contributions to the field of arthroplasty. Originally from Iran, he completed his residency there and further honed his skills through fellowships in Canada, Europe, and Iran.

Dr. Sridharan, originally from India, moved to Lloydminster when he was young. Dr. Sridharan completed his medical training at the University of Alberta, and surgical residency at the University of Calgary. He previously practiced as an orthopedic surgeon locum at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre between August 2022 and January 2023. Dr. Sridharan specializes in foot/ankle, pediatric and general orthopedics.

AHS says while our hospital can offer most orthopedic surgeries, in certain circumstances, some patients requiring specialized surgical care related to multi-trauma, primary bone tumors, and/or pediatric spine cases may be referred to another healthcare facility.