Obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Neerja Sharma joins Group Health Centre, Sault Area Hospital Prenatal Clinic; there are now three OB-GYN specialists in the Sault
Dr. Neerja Sharma is a welcome addition to the ranks of medical specialists in Sault Ste. Marie.
Sharma, an obstetrician/gynecologist, moved to the Sault in May and is now working with the Group Health Centre and in Sault Area Hospital’s Prenatal Clinic.
Her arrival means the city now has three OB-GYNs, a specialty that has been difficult to fill in recent years.
She comes here after practicing as an obstetrician/gynecologist in the Chatham region for the last 10 years.
“Women’s health is very close to my heart,” Sharma told SooToday.
“When I was growing up in India I realized that women’s health takes a back seat. I thought that only happened in my country of birth but later I realized that there are many gender inequalities and I thought I should become someone who can change that, to advocate on women’s behalf.”
Of her work in obstetrics, Sharma said “there’s nothing greater than the joy of bringing life into this world.”
She said she has worked with married couples going through their second and third pregnancies, has watched their children grow and feels like she is a part of their families.
In gynecology, Sharma said cervical cancer screening is something she has a special interest in.
The World Health Organization introduced, in 2020, a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by ensuring women with cervical disease receive appropriate treatment, be screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by age 45 and that girls should be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15.
“We are working towards it,” said Sharma of the goal to eliminate cervical cancer.
“There’s so much to be done in each stage of a woman’s life, from adolescence to menopause. I think we can make some changes. I feel in a small way I have done my part going across the globe working in different countries and cultures.”
Sharma completed her training in India before working in four different Middle Eastern countries over the course of a decade, becoming familiar with Arabic culture and language. After working in the United Kingdom, she moved to Toronto and completed a Fellowship in Advanced/High Risk Obstetrics.
Sharma completed her residency in London at Western University and became certified with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2013.
“Some of the women who come to me are very young,” Sharma said.
“I see teenagers and they don’t know anything about themselves and they don’t feel comfortable sharing with just anyone, so I listen to them and provide them with health education and guide them to resources. It may seem simple but it’s very rewarding.”
Sharma said treatment for women’s health is good in countries such as Canada and the UK with their publicly funded medical systems.
She said she has worked with First Nations navigators to encourage Indigenous women to come forward for medical help in obstetrics/gynecology.
“That is a population, I feel, we need to work on to get them to come for help. And, some newcomers are not aware that the medical system here is publicly paid for and available.”
After living and working in southern Ontario, Sharma said she is looking forward to experiencing the quality of life the Sault has to offer.
With Sharma’s arrival, the Sault currently has three obstetrician/gynecologists.
Obstetrics has gone through recruitment and retention challenges over the last several years across Ontario and especially in northern and rural communities.
SAH partnered with community health care providers to open a Prenatal Care Clinic at the hospital in July 2022 that provides prenatal care. The program is also supported by Midwives of Algoma and a large pool of locums as SAH continues its efforts to recruit permanent physicians.
