The Official Opposition NDP announced the commencement of the Healthcare Solutions Tour with Opposition Health Critic Vicki Mowat and Rural and Remote Health Critic Matt Love.
This tour will see the critics travel across the province to meet and consult with healthcare professionals, patients, and local leaders to discuss the issues they’re seeing first-hand and what the solutions need to be.
“The situation in our hospitals is dire. Emergency rooms are overflowing, ambulances are unavailable, rural health centres are closing, people are waiting longer and longer for surgery, all well other provinces steam ahead with ambitious healthcare reforms,” says Mowat.
“But why not Saskatchewan? We are the birthplace of medicare. We have the money, our provincial coffers are full of oil and potash royalties because of the war in Ukraine. I think the job is just too hard for Scott Moe.”
On Thursday, February 2, Mowat and Love will go on their first trip of the tour to the communities of Cupar, Southey, and Saskatoon to meet with mayors, councilors, healthcare workers, and first responders.
The NDP has stated that this tour is necessary because according to the Provincial Auditor the Sask. Party has no plan to retain the healthcare workers in Saskatchewan despite the party’s recent recruitment efforts to bring 1000 international healthcare workers to the province.
Even with these recruitment efforts, there have been difficulties with getting these workers residency in the province which is prolonging the situation. Plus, these job offers will still leave Saskatchewan’s healthcare industry short by about 1000 workers according to the Auditor.
“The Sask. Party has been in power for 15 years. They are responsible for the crisis in our hospitals. How does Moe explain that the waits for surgeries are longest here (compared to other provinces), or that while hospitals in other provinces are busy ours are closing altogether, or that we’re losing far more healthcare workers to other provinces than we’re gaining,” says Mowat.
Mowat shared that in 2021, Saskatchewan lost 600 healthcare workers more than what the province gained and no exit interviews were done by the Sask. Party government to know why.
“Nurses, doctors, and a variety of healthcare workers are coming forward with real solutions but Moe and his ministers are going ahead with their inadequate plan. it’s inadequate because they’ve refused to consult with the folks who have the answers,” says Love.
Despite the recent positive announcements of the Sask. Party’s recruitment efforts, opening more seats in medical programs in the province’s universities and setting a date set with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss a national healthcare plan, Mowat and Love say that Moe is spinning the numbers to hide the reality of the crisis behind these announcements and has not put any real effort into getting the solutions from the people with their boots on the ground in our hospitals and doctors offices.
At the end of this tour, the NDP hopes to create a clear and concise solution plan to present to the Sask. Party government.
