Saskatchewan hospitals report 1,305 service disruptions since 2019, data shows [Video]

Rural Saskatchewan hospitals have continued to experience service disruptions daily over the past five years.

Data from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), obtained by the provincial NDP through a freedom of information request, shows that between August 2019 and May 2024, there were more than 200,000 hours of healthcare blackouts at 58 hospitals and health centres, not including Saskatoon and Regina.

“We believe that this is a management issue on the government’s part for how they are allocating and treating workers,” NDP critic for rural and remote health Jared Clarke said. “There’s enough money in the healthcare budget to prioritize providing the supports and services that Saskatchewan people need when they need it in their communities. It’s time to get Saskatchewan out of last place.”

This equates to a total of 8,613 days of lost service for patients with 1,305 distinct closures in total.

During the nearly five-year stretch, emergency …