NDP: Clear and transparent plan needed to address Sask. Party surgical backlog

REGINA - In light of the thousands of surgeries cancelled due to lack of capacity caused by the Premier’s failed handling of COVID’s fourth wave, Leader of the Official Opposition Ryan Meili demanded transparency from the Sask. Party government on the number of surgeries that have been cancelled and a plan to clear Saskatchewan’s massive surgical backlog.

“The are so many Saskatchewan families suffering from this government’s mismanagement of the fourth wave. These people are victims of Scott Moe’s choice to play politics rather than listen to the medical experts,” said Meili. “This Premier needs to be doing everything he can to reduce capacity pressures on our health care system. The federal government has offered non-ICU support. This Premier needs to show some leadership and ask for the help, so that we can free up Sask-based health care workers to help resume these procedures.”

Thousands of Saskatchewan people are desperately waiting for life changing surgeries in this province, with no immediate end in sight. Staff reallocations due to lack of capacity caused by the surge of the fourth wave have resulted in thousands of cancelled cancer surgeries and treatments, organ transplants, children’s surgeries and pediatric therapies.

Despite significant impacts on people waiting for surgeries, the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative (SSI) website has not been updated since the Sask. Party government removed all COVID-19 restrictions in the province on July 11.

“This is a pattern of behaviour for this government. We saw them do this with the COVID modelling that they hid from doctors and the public for months, and they continue to do this with the recommendations they received from Dr. Shahab,” said Meili. “They try to obscure and hide their own failures from the people of Saskatchewan. That’s not leadership.”

The Saskatchewan NDP Opposition is calling for:

The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative to be updated with the numbers from July, August, September, and October.
The Sask. Party government to immediately request federal assistance for non-emergency procedures and contact-tracing to free up Sask-based health care workers so that these therapies and treatments can resume.
A commitment to greater transparency from the Sask. Party government.

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For more information, please contact:

Brock Bowman

306-519-9549

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