Health Shadow Minister Meara Conway led the call Monday, while holding a news conference with Dodsland resident Meagan Johnson, who shared her experience of leaving Canada and paying approximately $15,000 U.S. out of pocket for medically necessary spinal surgery after being told she would wait another 12 to 18 months for treatment in Saskatchewan.
Johnson spent months navigating Saskatchewan's healthcare system, including diagnostic imaging, specialist appointments and injections, before learning she faced another lengthy delay despite living with severe, worsening nerve pain.
"As premiers gather to discuss Canada's future, Scott Moe should be standing up for public healthcare — not standing with a premier who is trying to undermine it," Conway said. "Meagan's story is what happens when patients lose faith that they can access timely care in the public system. When someone feels they have no choice but to leave the country and empty their savings account and go into debt to receive medically necessary surgery, our government has broken the promise of universal, public healthcare."
Johnson said the decision to leave Saskatchewan was one of desperation, not preference.
"I did everything I was told to do. I followed every step, trusted the system and waited patiently,” she said. “But after months of appointments, I was told I would still have to wait another 12 to 18 months while living in constant pain. I couldn't wait any longer."
Johnson said she is speaking publicly because too many Saskatchewan patients do not have the financial means to do what she did.
Conway said Johnson's experience is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of patients waiting too long for essential care.
"Healthcare workers are doing everything they can, but this government has allowed our public healthcare system to deteriorate to the point where some patients believe paying privately or leaving Canada is their only option," Conway said.
Earlier this month, Carla Beck and Conway wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging the federal government to defend the principles of universal public healthcare, warning of legislation imposed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to allow privately paid surgeries to be performed in publicly funded hospitals. The legislation has been vouched for on at least two separate occasions by Scott Moe and he has openly mused about bringing the same to Saskatchewan.
Carla Beck’s team has consulted with thousands of people about the future of Saskatchewan healthcare through the Your Care, Your Say project and not one is vouching for more privatization.
“Canadians built a healthcare system based on need, not the ability to pay," Conway said. “The answer to stories like Meagan's is not to normalize paying for private healthcare, but to bring forward big, bold change to fix public healthcare.”
When asked what the Sask. NDP would do differently, Conway said that one of the guiding themes of their interim report is the need to build up a public system and end what she describes as the Sask. Party’s “pay to play” approach in healthcare. “These lucrative contracts have not improved wait-times but have seen tens of thousands of donations go to the Sask. Party coffers.
“Let’s start by investing in our public system here at home. Stop sending millions to a province that has declared open war on medicare. That would be a good start.”
Conway also pointed to the need to finalize a fair contract with healthcare workers who have gone over four years without a pay raise.
“For a government that seems to say, ‘we’ve tried everything and we’re all out of solutions,’ this would be another no-brainer.”
Saskatchewan people are welcome to offer their ideas and feedback at YourCareYourSay.ca.
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