Question Period (16 October 2023)

From Hansard (16 October 2023)

To view this section on video, click here and start play at 2:03:25 PM.

 Management of Health Care System

Mr. Love: — Well we’ve now got a trend of rookie ministers being sat down by their colleagues over there. Mr. Speaker, the list of ERs shut down under this government’s watch is long, and it’s growing. At the Galloway Health Centre the ER was closed overnight on three different days in October because there weren’t enough staff. That means that patients have to hold off until the morning if they’re planning on getting sick or injured. It’s just ridiculous, Mr. Speaker. Or maybe they have to make the trip to other centres like Estevan, Arcola, or Redvers for care. It’s just not acceptable.

When will we see this government act with the urgency required on rural health care that they’re applying to the notwithstanding clause?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank my friend for the question. I appreciate the opportunity to continue to highlight the work that’s being done under our health human resources action plan.

Health human resources continues to be a priority for our government, Mr. Speaker. We have a four-point plan that is recruiting, training, incentivizing, and retaining more than 1,000 health care workers over the next few years, and that’s supported by more than a million dollars of government-wide investment. Those investments include $1.8 million for the rural physician incentive program to support physician recruitment and retention, recently expanded to $200,000 for a five-year return of service; $1.3 million to hire up to 12 physician assistants in Saskatchewan’s health system for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Love: — I’m glad to hear that minister read familiar lines, but here’s a news flash to that new minister: the next centre looking at closure under this tired and out-of-touch government’s watch is the Biggar & District Health Centre — on-again, offagain coverage on four different days throughout October. A community that’s known well the impacts of closures because it’s been going on there for years, Mr. Speaker, years of closures under this government.

This government should be laser focused on fixing the staffing crisis in health care, but they’ve been distracted by the member from Sask Rivers. Instead of working on solutions, they’re sowing divisions.

They have a plan for pronouns. When will we see a plan to keep the ER open in Biggar?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps my friend wasn’t listening when I just referenced the plan that we’ve implemented some time ago. The first pillar of that plan, Mr. Speaker, is to recruit, and that is to address the shortages that we know exist in the system.

The recruitment has included 430 job offers made to Filipino health care workers, including RNs, continuing care assistants, and medical lab assistants, Mr. Speaker. Nineteen CCAs [continuing care assistant] and two medical laboratory assistants have arrived and are working in communities in Saskatchewan. We also have 411 RNs with conditional offers that are now moving through the pathway which includes language and bridging education, and licensing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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 Suicide Prevention and Provision of Mental Health and Addictions Services

To view this section on video, start play at 2:13:25 PM at the link provided above.
 

Ms. Mowat: — Mr. Speaker, last week we were joined by Sarah Mackenzie. Her child, Bee, died by suicide. Sarah did her best to keep Bee alive but the supports that Bee needed in the school system and the health care system just weren’t there. More urgent action is needed from this government. What is the plan to address the issue of youth suicide in this province? And what specific measures is this government going to put in place to protect the lives of gender-diverse kids like Bee who are already at an increased risk of suicide?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And let me begin by expressing my condolences to the family. Every loss of life due to a suicide is a tragedy.

Our government is making investments in this area, Mr. Speaker. As I had referenced earlier, we have a plan in place. There’s more than $518 million for mental health and addictions services in place in this year’s budget alone, Mr. Speaker. That includes work that’s being done in the mental health capacity building in schools, which we expanded in this year’s budget to a total of 10 schools across the province, including communities like Balgonie, La Ronge, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Regina, Sandy Bay, Weyburn, and Yorkton, Mr. Speaker.

Our new action plan for mental health and addictions that I also referenced earlier will be expanding that initiative to five additional schools in the next budget year with the goal of expanding to at least one school in all school divisions over the next five years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. Mowat: — Mr. Speaker, we know where this government stands. They’ve cut school counsellors, and their new mental health and addictions plan is a pittance of the former plan that existed 10 years ago. I don’t know if the minister has had a chance to look at it, but 76 pages, Mr. Speaker, as compared to the plan they put out recently without a notion of the previous recommendations that were put in that. Shame, Mr. Speaker.

Sarah came to the legislature because she doesn’t want another child to die by suicide. She wants concrete actions from this government. She outlined all of the steps that could happen.

What is the plan to make sure that another gender-diverse kid does not die by suicide under their watch, Mr. Speaker?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In addition to the plans that I’ve previously referenced, our government has also introduced the Pillars for Life plan, which addresses this issue directly, Mr. Speaker. The new mental health and addictions action plan, as I said, does expand mental health capacity building in schools for our children and youth. It also moves to a recovery-oriented system with care for addictions, which are often tied to mental health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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