The status of healthcare in Saskatchewan is a topic, that if you look at both sides, paints a pretty confusing picture.
Numerous announcements (such as record spending for healthcare in the most recent budget) from the Saskatchewan government help show that the government is taking steps to address the issues at hand. In the meantime, the Opposition NDP take just as many opportunities to showcase any faults in those plans.
A crowd in Delisle at a recent public discussion on healthcare (All photos via Deb Winder)On Friday, March 3 in Delisle, a community townhall was put on to discuss healthcare concerns and disruptions for residents within the Delisle and District Health Centre operating area.
Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck was also in attendance alongside health critics Matt Love and Vicki Mowat, as part of the NDP's Health Solutions Tour.
Delisle town councillor and Chair of the DDHC Deb Winder was the moderator for the event.
In an emailed statement to West Central Online, the ever-involved Winder provided some of the specific concerns coming out of the community.
"In recent months, the Delisle and District Heath Council (DDHC) and the Delisle Inter Agency Group (DIAG) expressed concerns about the lack of a physician and Nurse Practitioner services available at the Delisle Primary Health Centre since the retirement of the physician in 2019," shared Winder on March 6.
Beck, Love, and Mowat made opening remarks prior to members of the panel answering questions from the public. Winder also shared comments sent by Everett Hindley, Saskatchewan's minister of mental health and addictions, and seniors and rural and remote health, surrounding money being released to hire some part-time health-care workers.
Love, Beck, and Mowat were on hand as Delisle's Deb Winder moderated things Since the meeting, Winder shared that a part-time nurse practitioner is beginning work in April. But she said they haven't had any luck with physician recruitment.
Winder said one of the community's biggest concerns is restoring services to what they were in the past.
"Not just an additional 40-per-cent nurse practitioner. Comments were made about the value of our present [one]. The clinic needs to be accepting new patients. The new NP will be working through the present waiting list, but we anticipate the waiting list to increase," stated Winder. "Some would like to see the Health Centre be expanded to a walk-in clinic. Others were not completely aware of all the services that the Health Centre offers."
Winder said Delisle is sometimes considered urban, because it's just 20 minutes away from Saskatoon. She feels Delisle is just as rural as the rest of west-central Saskatchewan. Not everybody has the means to make a trip to the city.
"If we could get more healthcare out here, we could take some strain off (Saskatoon's) system."
Delisle's population is just over 1,000, but Winder said the overall service region for the Delisle and District Heath Council is closer to 5,000.
The local health centre already has a few key positions filled such as a part time physio therapist and speech pathologist, but Winder wants to see that stable increased with full time workers as the need is clearly there.
"We have part-time, part-time, part-time... which is good... but we really need, especially with a lack of physicians, we need the primary healthcare. And we understand it's going to be really hard to get a doctor," shared Winder over the phone.
Winder feels the pulse of the community was well represented through the meeting.
Concerns about home care, senior care, and gaps in personal and long-term care needs were also brought up.
"All of those things, that everybody else in the province and the country is concerned with."
Several issues related to hospital services were identified, including ambulance attendants waiting in emergency rooms due to staff shortages. There were cases of patients laying in hallway beds due to a lack of space, burnt-out staff, and a challenging transition between SHA and Social Services for children with special needs as they become adults.
The local health council plans to continue advocating on behalf of the Delisle district as residents are encouraged to keep utilizing the services that are available.
MLA for Saskatoon Eastview Matt Love speaking about the meeting in Delisle during Question Period back on March 7 (Screengrab via Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly)The NDP critics reassured the citizens present that they would take their concerns to the government. During the Legislative Assembly debates on March 7 it was the MLA from Saskatoon Eastview Matt Love doing just that in response to Minister of Health Paul Merriman.
"Mr. Speaker, we’ve been listening to Saskatchewan people. That minister’s answers prove once again that they clearly have not. We’ve been meeting with leaders and health care workers (in many places including Delisle), and there’s more to come," shared the government critic Love during Question Period. "The challenges in those communities are certainly unique, but there’s one thing common in every single meeting: we hear that this government isn’t listening and they are not interested in finding solutions. Why does this tired and out-of-touch government continue to ignore local voices in health care?"
Love's comments came before record spending for healthcare was announced in this year's budget. Of the $7.1 billion earmarked, the province is committing $22 million in 2023-2024 for 250 new full-time and part-time healthcare positions in rural and remote areas of the province. Another $39 million increase will take place to support healthcare for seniors.
Thu, May 2, 9:30 AM
