May 5, 2025
GRANDE PRAIRIE — Grande Prairie Regional Hospital has fully relaunched its urology services following the recruitment of three urologists now practising in the community.
The local urology program was paused in 2022 due to challenges in recruiting the necessary physician specialists. It partially reopened in fall 2023 with the arrival of Dr. Sai Vangala, a urologic surgeon. Last fall, two additional specialists joined the community: Dr. Ahmed Kotb, a urologist and uro-oncologist, and Dr. Oguz Ozcan, a general urologist. With their arrival, the program once again offers a comprehensive range of urology services at the hospital.
Urology is a surgical specialty program that focuses on the male and female urinary tract, and the male reproductive system.
“The recruitment team has put a huge effort into doctor recruitment and it is showing,” says Nolan Dyck, MLA for Grande Prairie. “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."
The hospital now offers urology diagnostic services, advanced minimally invasive procedures, and personalized care for chronic conditions such kidney stones, urinary incontinence and prostate health.
"This is great news for healthcare in our region,” says Ron Wiebe, MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti, and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health (North). “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.”
Patients can be referred to the Alberta Health Services (AHS) urology program by their family doctor or a primary care physician.
“This is a significant achievement and helps ensure that local and area residents can access the specialized care they need,” says Dr. Jane Ojedokun, Zone Medical Director for the North Zone of Alberta Health Services (AHS).
As part of an overall physician recruitment strategy, AHS has three physician resource planners in the North Zone who are dedicated to identifying and pursuing international and domestic physician recruitment opportunities. These planners work closely with partner organizations, such as the Rural Health Professionals Action Plan and local, independent community physician attraction and retention committees.
Dr. Sai Vangala, urologic surgeon
Dr. Vangala is an endourologist with expertise in advanced laparoscopy. He received his medical training at the University of London in the U.K., followed by a residency in urology surgery at the University of Toronto. He completed a specialized fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and endourology at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He also specializes in stone disease and the treatment of enlarged prostates.
Dr. Ahmed Kotb, urologist and uro-oncologist
Dr. Kotb has more than 20 years of experience in clinical practice, academic leadership and surgical innovation. His medical education journey began in Egypt and evolved internationally, with a PhD in epidemiology from McGill University. He has held numerous leadership roles in the urology field. He holds multiple certifications, including European and Canadian qualifications in urology. Dr. Kotb's research and clinical work focus on genitourinary cancers, and he has contributed to numerous publications.
Dr. Oguz Ozcan, general urologist
Dr. Ozcan is a European Board of Urology-certified urologist originally from Turkey, with
18 years of experience in his field. He has a diverse range of interests within urology, including pediatric urology, female urology, endourology and uro-oncology.
Alberta Health Services provides a range of healthcare services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide excellent, patient-focused healthcare that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
