Question Period (16 May 2024)

From Hansard (16 May 2024)

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 Management of Health Care System

Mr. Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Short-staffing problems are not limited just to the ERs in our big cities. Rural hospitals are struggling with short-staffing caused by this tired and out-of-touch government.

In Fort Qu’Appelle at the All Nations’ Healing Hospital, five, five of the nine doctors will be leaving by this fall, and there’s no plan to hire more. This hospital services over 30,000 people. What does the Minister of Rural and Remote Health say to all the people around Fort Qu’Appelle whose access to health care is being put at risk?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Again we see some pretty great exaggeration coming from the opposition, Mr. Speaker.

When it comes to Fort Qu’Appelle, this health human resources action plan is already showing results, Mr. Speaker. In Fort Qu’Appelle alone we have four RNs [registered nurse], a nurse practitioner, and a CLXT [combined laboratory and X-ray technologist] that have been hired as a direct result of our rural and remote recruitment incentive, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Health said, we are constantly in contact with our front-line providers, with our doctors, with our nurses. And we have the most ambitious health human resources action plan in the country, and it is showing results across the province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people who live in and around Fort Qu’Appelle are the ones who are worried. They’re the ones who have sent a letter, and they’re the ones who have started a letter-writing campaign to the Health ministers. So I’ll read from their letter that they’re writing to them:

The absence of access to quality medical care, and especially a lack of access to a doctor, will significantly affect the well-being of my family and ultimately will affect the choices I make about where I choose to work and live.

The mess that this Sask Party government has made of rural health care is driving people out of the province. What does the minister say to the rural people writing these letters to his office, people who this Sask Party government have taken for granted for far too long?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Here’s a few more quotes from the communities that are benefiting from this health human resources action plan. A quote from the mayor of Wolseley:

The successful execution of the phased opening plans for Wolseley hospital is the result of extensive collaboration and hard work from the various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, the SHA management team, WMICC employees, your local municipal leaders, and the general public.

That’s Mayor Gerry Hill from Wolseley, Mr. Speaker.

From Mayor Kyle Bennett of Shaunavon:

Thank you for meeting with us and listening to our concerns. We look forward to working with you to keep our facilities running smoothly and keeping our residents safe.

Mr. Speaker, I can go on and on with quotes from community leaders. Yes, we recognize we have challenges in some of our rural communities, and that’s why we have the most ambitious health human resources action plan in the nation that is showing results, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Mr. Clarke: — Mr. Speaker, the question was about Fort Qu’Appelle and the worries about those residents.

Now we can list off a number of health care problems in Saskatchewan too. The Yorkton surgical department is closed for the next week because of short-staffing. Broadview, Lanigan, Kamsack, Wolseley all have their ERs on reduced hours. Obstetrics in Estevan have been closed for more than a year. In the Premier’s own backyard, the ER in Rosthern has been closed 24 times since December.

I can take the whole question period asking about all the communities who don’t have access to the services they need today. The Sask Party broke health care in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, and they’re not up to the job of fixing it.

Why won’t the minister just step aside and let New Democrats get to work on fixing local health care in communities across this province?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I said before, the member keeps saying closures; what he means is temporary service disruptions.

Mr. Speaker, some of the disruptions that he’s talking about are as little as three hours long, and they’re often due to somebody’s illness, an unplanned vacation. Those are temporary service disruptions.

When he says closures, they would know what closures are because they closed 52 hospitals across Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. They closed 19 long-term care facilities. That’s 1,200 long-term care beds. That’s not even touching the 176 schools that they closed or the highways that they let crumble, Mr. Speaker.

When the opposition talks about get out of the way and take our ideas, those are their ideas, Mr. Speaker — close hospitals, close schools, and let the highways crumble.

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