SASKATCHEWAN NDP PLANS LEGISLATION REQUIRING PUBLIC NOTICE OF EMERGENCY ROOM CLOSURES

People Needing Lifesaving Care Forced To Guess If Community Hospital Open

REGINA – The Saskatchewan NDP intends to introduce legislation during the coming fall sitting that would require a formal public notification of all emergency room closures in the province after months of analysis and testimonials from people who were unable to access emergency healthcare in rural communities.

Earlier this month, the emergency room closure crisis became even more dire as it was revealed a closed emergency room in the community of Outlook was diverting patients needing lifesaving care to another emergency room in Davidson that was also closed.

“Clearly, after 18 years of Sask. Party mismanagement and failure that has left healthcare in Saskatchewan in last place, there is no end in sight to emergency room closures,” said Jared Clarke, Saskatchewan NDP Rural & Remote Health Shadow Minister. “The least this incompetent government can do is provide potentially lifesaving information about which emergency rooms are open and which are closed. Minutes in these situations can literally be the difference between life and death.”

The Saskatchewan NDP has identified at least 134 emergency room closures totaling 1325 days from December 2024 to the end of April. However, there are likely many, many more as notification currently is not provided by the Saskatchewan Health Authority and is often only publicly available through the social media channels of an impacted municipality.

Other emergency alerts exist for health crises, such as the presence of new, deadly drugs — one such notice was issued in Saskatoon on Sept. 6 and people can sign up online to have the information emailed or texted to them in real-time.

Clarke said the lack of formal notification of emergency room closures is entirely a political decision.

“This is the Sask. Party attempting to cover its tracks — they don’t want the people of Saskatchewan to know just how badly they have failed,” Clarke said. “This legislation is a necessary step to save lives while we launch a bigger conversation of how we can leave the Sask. Party behind and change healthcare for the better — for our future.”

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