“Across the province, wait times are getting longer, treatments and services are getting more difficult to access, and seniors in long-term care are suffering without the care they need,” said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier. “Instead of investing in solutions to these problems, the Sask. Party is cutting $9.5 million from healthcare programs – cuts that will only make these problems even worse.”
Despite repeated calls by the NDP for minimum care standards to be included in long-term care homes, the Auditor’s report shows that the Sask. Party has refused to ensure that this is happening. The report also found that wait times for MRIs in Regina are twice as long as they should be.
The Provincial Auditor also found that many kids in the North are being left vulnerable to dangerous diseases because of problems with the immunization rates.
“The Auditor’s findings are upsetting but they aren’t surprising,” said Chartier. “We’ve been hearing these stories every day across the whole province. That fact is, the Sask. Party isn’t getting the job done when it comes to looking after Saskatchewan families, seniors, or even our kids.”