Saskatchewan on track for 1,700 no-ambulance-available instances in 2023
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Rural and Remote Health Critic Matt Love called on Scott Moe’s Sask. Party government for a full-scale ambulance reform plan in light of a whopping 587 calls for SHA ambulances going unanswered so far this year.
“I don’t know how Premier Moe can justify sitting on a billion-dollar surplus while people across the province are denied ambulances in their time of greatest need,” said Beck. “When something’s clearly broken, you fix it. It’s common sense. Premier Moe is completely disconnected from reality if he thinks hundreds and hundreds of people being denied ambulances is proof of a healthcare system working for everyone.”
SHA data provided to the Opposition following Premier’s Estimates show that 440 people were told no ambulance was available during their time of need in February, March, April and the beginning of May. This brings the tally of instances where no SHA ambulance was available to a caller in need to 587 this year.
Regina EMS workers characterized the bump to EMS funding in the provincial budget as a band-aid solution that will not be enough to address the EMS staffing crisis.
“If the Sask. Party government doesn’t reform EMS services, we’re on track to have more than 1,700 calls when no ambulance is available this year,” said Love. “EMS workers are leaving the profession because they feel unsupported and worked to the bone. The situation will only get worse unless the government starts listening to EMS workers and delivers on their solutions.”
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