While rural hospital services are being cut, hospitals in both the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region and Saskatoon Health Region are continuously being stretched to their limits and the Sask. Party is offering no solution in sight.
“This is a huge problem for patients in Regina, Saskatoon and surrounding areas,” said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier. “Without a bed, patients aren’t getting the proper care and attention they need to get healthy and move out of the health care system; the problem compounds and frontline health workers are run off their feet.”
Currently there are 67 overcapacity beds between the Royal University Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital. Meanwhile, the Regina Hospital is at 100 per cent capacity and the Regina Pasqua Hospital is at over 100 per cent.
Chartier noted that the DUBE centre in Saskatoon – which is a critically important acute service centre for mental health patients – is also over capacity. People needing urgent help are waiting too long in the emergency room instead of getting the appropriate care they need.
“The Sask. Party just doesn’t understand that hallway medicine and long waits for care won’t work for Saskatchewan patients,” Chartier said. “This has been a longstanding issue with this government but still, we see little in their budget to help address the situation.”