SHA RECKLESSLY DIRECTING PATIENTS TO CLOSED EMERGENCY ROOMS OVER THANKSGIVING LONG WEEKEND

REGINA – The Saskatchewan Health Authority recklessly redirected patients needing emergency care to closed emergency rooms, according to notices reported online, and could have gotten somebody killed in the process.

Arcola’s emergency room closed the afternoon of October 9 and remained closed through much of the long weekend. Over the same weekend, the Kipling emergency room was also closed, and the SHA redirected emergency patients in this community to the closed ER in Arcola.

“Somebody is going to get killed,” said Keith Jorgenson, Saskatchewan NDP Associate Shadow Minister for Health. “These are emergency rooms. You can’t just throw up a ‘we’ll be back soon’ sign and call it a day.

“I’m shocked that the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Sask. Party didn’t clean up their act when we brought attention to this very issue a month ago.”

Following a surge in closed rural emergency rooms, many of which have gone unreported on the SHA’s central website, the Saskatchewan NDP plans to introduce legislation in the fall that would require a formal public notification of all emergency room closures in the province.

The NDP is also consulting on a broader plan to deliver big bold change for the future of healthcare and is encouraging the people of Saskatchewan to have their say by visiting YourCareYourSay.ca.

“The people of Saskatchewan have lost all faith that the Sask. Party and their friends in the SHA will fix the crisis they’ve created,” said Jorgenson. “We used to lead this country in healthcare, and we need to lead again with big bold change to get our health system out of last place.”

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