One week after the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses raised the alarm about a patient dying in ER as a result of overcrowding, the Saskatchewan NDP is calling for an independent investigation of the circumstances leading to the tragic incident.

“When hospital staff say a patient died in a Saskatoon Emergency Room because of treatment delays, when those ERs are in what the SHA has called a state of ‘extreme overcapacity’, we need more than just another assurance from the Sask. Party that everything is fine,” said NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat. “The Sask. Party’s failures on health care are letting people down, which is why we’re calling on the government to ask the Coroner to investigate. The Sask. Party can’t be allowed to sweep this serious matter under the rug.”

The NDP Opposition has consistently raised concerns about growing wait times in Emergency Rooms, calling ERs “the canary in the coalmine” when it comes to strains on our healthcare system.