Sask. NDP, Turner family call for mental health and addictions system reform

REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck and House Leader Nicole Sarauer were joined by the family of the late Shayne Turner, who was prematurely discharged from hospital following an overdose only to tragically lose his life later that day. Together, they called on Scott Moe’s Sask. Party government to finally fix the broken mental health system that failed Shayne.

“Shayne Turner was denied adequate care and tragically lost his life because Scott Moe has pushed our health system and the people in it to the brink of collapse,” said Beck. “When people turn to our hospitals and health system for life-saving care, it should be there. For Shayne, it wasn’t, and that’s something that can’t be taken back.”

On November 7th, 2021, Shayne suffered an overdose and was admitted to the Regina General Hospital. The next morning, he was discharged after being denied access to detox services. He was released prematurely with two pamphlets, a cab voucher and no naloxone kit despite the Ministry of Health expanding naloxone access for situations such as this one years earlier. He died later that day.

“Shayne, like Samwel Uko, Steven Rigby and countless others, lost his life because the Sask. Party government failed to improve our mental health and addictions services,” said Sarauer. “We have some of the highest rates of suicide in Canada and platitudes like ‘we’re working on it’ and ‘we’re taking this situation seriously’ mean nothing without real action to back them up.”

The Official Opposition called on the Sask. Party government to address their massive failings in the mental health and addictions system and to support the Turner family’s request to the Chief Coroner for an inquest into Shayne’s death.

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