Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

NDP: Chronic short-staffing in healthcare has been made worse by the pandemic

REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Deputy Leader Nicole Sarauer introduced local healthcare workers from Regina, Broadview, and Yorkton calling on the Sask. Party government to address the issue of chronic short-staffing in Saskatchewan healthcare - an issue long before COVID - and develop a comprehensive health staffing strategy to deal with the issue of retention and recruitment. 

Duncan memos show ongoing interference in local COVID-19 safety measures

REGINA - Today, the NDP Official Opposition released two internal memos written by Minister of Education Dustin Duncan showcasing the extent to which the Minister interfered with local municipal health decisions. These memos contradict the public statements made by the Minister and caused immense confusion for school boards trying to work with their local medical health officers to ensure the health and safety of their students and staff.

“These memos show just how far the Minister has been willing to go to interfere in local health decision-making. Common sense and health policy aren’t dictating these decisions, it’s the Minister’s own politics,” said Carla Beck, Opposition Critic for Education. “It is unfathomable that this Minister would direct school boards to ignore local medical health orders, even in cases where schools in active COVID outbreak are hosting an extracurricular event.”

NDP: Premier needs to apologize to health workers for fourth wave failures

REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Leader Ryan Meili was joined by Carolyn Brost Strom, a public health nurse from Prince Albert to discuss the intense stress and burnout to frontline health workers caused by short-staffing and the Premier’s failures to contain the fourth wave. Brost Strom joined the Sask. NDP in condemning the last-minute decision to no longer allow kids to be vaccinated in schools unless a parent is in attendance which risks reduced vaccine uptake and delays protection to kids now eligible for their vaccines.