Question Period (19 October 2023)

From Hansard (19 October 2023)

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 Health Care Staffing and Provision of Emergency Care

Ms. Beck: — Mr. Speaker, it is so clear that this tired and outof-touch government has stopped listening. They’re not listening to school boards, they’re not listening to First Nations, and they’re not listening to people in rural Saskatchewan who are worried about keeping their ERs [emergency room] open.

Last night I attended a packed town hall in Radville where local people are worried about keeping their ER open. This, Mr. Speaker, this is what keeps Saskatchewan people up at night, not pronouns. What’s the Premier’s plan to ensure that the ER in Radville remains open?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and of course our government recognizes the challenges that we have with human resources in the health care sector. This is not unique to Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. This is a problem that exists right across the country and across North America.

And that’s why our government has a four-point action plan to address this situation. We are recruiting, we are training, we are retaining, and we are incentivizing positions under that plan, Mr. Speaker, and that is exactly what we are doing to address this concern. Thank you.

Ms. Beck: — Mr. Speaker, he acknowledges the problem, and yet here we are in an emergency session to strip rights away from children. We should be in an emergency session to ensure that health care is available for Saskatchewan people in all communities. People in Radville are worried that they can’t get emergency care when they need it. When will this Premier find us effective action on rural ERs with the same urgency that he’s applying to this notwithstanding clause?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and as I said in my previous answer, we are currently addressing this situation with an aggressive action plan to recruit, to train, to incentivize, and to retain health care professionals right across the system.

Mr. Speaker, I would just highlight some of the investments that we have made in this area to satisfy the member that, in fact, we are making investments. Over $22 million allocated for the continued implementation of 250 new full-time positions, to enhance part-time positions to full-time in rural and remote areas around the province; $11.9 million invested to continue supporting the work under way to recruit internationally trained health care workers, including regulatory assessment, navigator services, and settlement supports; $3.1 million to create a new registered nurse travel pool to help mitigate rural and remote health care concerns; $2 million invested to continue the provision of incentives between 30,000 and 50,000.

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