Under a new recruitment and retention plan announced today, the province said they are looking to add 1,000 professionals within the health care system.
The Health Human Resources Action Plan will recruit hundreds of new healthcare workers from abroad and newcomers interested in working in the health care centre.
Health Minister Paul Merriman talked about what Saskatchewan students could get.
“Overall, the province offers enhanced financial supports including loan forgiveness programs, bursaries and other supports to Saskatchewan students interested in a future in Saskatchewan health care,” he said.
The province plans an information campaign this fall to promote career opportunities.
Minister of Rural and Remote Health, Seniors Health and mental health and addictions Everett Hindley said that by including competitive incentive packages, they will expand their health care work force, stabilize health services across the province and build a stronger health care system.
“This comprehensive and detailed plan involves innovative and unique solutions, including competitive incentives and important retention measures for health care workers, particularly in rural and remote areas,” Hindley said.
Merriman talked about what went into the plan.
“What we heard consistently, we need more staff, we need more people. In rural Saskatchewan, we have challenges of half time positions, now those will be full time positions. We had some very direct, honest feedback from health care workers, which helped shape this plan,” Merriman said.
A new, independent Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency has been formally established with an initial Board consisting of the Deputy Minister of Health and the SHA’s Interim CEO.
Some of the planks in the plan include 250 full time positions added, the introduction of packages of up to $50,000 over three years to a return of service agreement for hard to recruit positions in rural and remote areas, and student loan forgiveness of up to $20,000 for nurses and nurse practitioners who practice in rural and remote communities.
The opposition NDP are not happy with the plan, saying it doesn’t address the widening gaps in health care.
Health critic Vicki Mowat said that of the 26 initiatives announced today, only 14 of them are new. She said the plan to hire 1,000 new health care professionals over two years only meets two thirds of the current job postings on the SHA website.
Health critic Vicki Mowat said that of the 26 initiatives announced today, only 14 of them are new. She said the plan to hire 1,000 new health care professionals over two years only meets two thirds of the current job postings on the SHA website.
She added that pledging to hire a thousand healthcare workers two years down the road when the SHA has fifteen hundred job postings today simply won’t cut it.
