Less than a year after a man passed away due to services cut at the Preeceville & District Integrated Health Care Facility, the Sask. Party government has chosen to cut the services all together.
In June of last year, Floyd Head suffered a heart attack in is home, a mere block from the hospital; however, at the time the centre was closed every two weeks and Head wasn’t able to receive treatment of any kind. Now, according to a document given to staff in the Sunrise Health Region, emergency room services at the hospital will be suspended as of June 1.
The closure has left Preeceville residents like Stacey Strykowski worried about the safety of her six-year-old son, who has a severe peanut allergy.
“My six-year-old son has an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts,” said Strykowski. “He carries two epi pens but still needs to be taken to a hospital within 20 minutes to survive. If this hospital is closed, he will die before an ambulance can get him to Canora or Yorkton.”
NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier called the closure unacceptable, and demanded the Sask. Party put a stop to this short-sighted cut.
“This government clearly doesn’t understand the reality that many families face,” she said. “Cutting vital services while adding more Lean consultants and executives is not a solution that will work for patients and families.”
Preeceville has had four physicians leave since 2010 and Chartier noted this is a sign that the Sask. Party is failing to do what is needed to retain much-needed rural physicians.