REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Health Critic Vicki Mowat called on Scott Moe’s Sask. Party government to immediately address chronic disruptions to vital mother-child services across Saskatchewan.
“Expectant moms are being told to anticipate when they expect to deliver their babies. It’s absurd.” said Beck. “It’s frankly unacceptable and extremely irresponsible to make mothers who are in labour drive from town to town with no assurances that a bed will be available for them, in November no less.”
Expectant mothers have recently been turned away from hospitals in Yorkton, Swift Current and Estevan and forced to drive hours to deliver because of disruptions to obstetric and anesthetic services.
Mother-child services only just reopened in Meadow Lake when the Official Opposition obtained a closure notice that was not published on the closure directory of the SHA website but instead circulated in a local physicians Facebook group.
“The Sask. Party government’s retention rate for OB’s and anesthesiologists is appalling - 20% and 50%, respectively - and targeted investments to mother-child health are entirely missing from the Sask. Party’s health plan despite windfall resource revenues,” said Mowat. “If the Health Minister doesn’t ‘think there’s anything wrong with the system,’ it’s clear he’s not taking the health of Saskatchewan people seriously.”
-30-
Poor working conditions, favouritism, $300K travel nurse pay at issue
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released a letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon. The letter slams the Sask. Party government for failing to support Saskatchewan nurses and curb the province’s reliance on expensive out-of-province travel nurses.
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations Betty Nippi-Albright hosted a Day of Action with Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council. Together, they continue to draw attention to the Sask. Party government’s disregard for the Duty to Consult process.
MOOSE JAW - Today, the Official Opposition stood with Taylor Enns, president of the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association, and Brayden Dutchak, the son of a cancer survivor. Together, they called on the Sask. Party government to reopen Saskatchewan’s only hyperbaric chamber.
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.