SASKATOON — Saskatchewan NDP Associate Health Critic Keith Jorgenson is accusing the Sask. Party government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority of misleading the public about “new” hospital beds in Saskatoon, calling it part of a pattern of chaos and dishonesty in the province’s health system.
“It honestly feels like Groundhog Day today. Another day and another time that we catch the Sask. Party [government] and the SHA are in a lie. It's a good thing I have different ties to keep track of all of the days and all of the lies,” said Jorgenson, who was referring to a viral video, where patients’ beds were visible in the hallways.
The SHA earlier acknowledged that they are aware of the capacity increase at RUH and also told reporters that an additional 109 beds have been brought in to increase overall capacity, with 20 now operational.
The NDP challenged the SHA to prove that the new beds they are citing as a solution to the Saskatoon hospital chaos are, in fact, new, or issue a retraction and an apology.
“SUN [Saskatchewan Union of Nurses] came out with proof showing that, in fact, it was not the case. The hallways depicted in a horrific video actually had names. They were called Pod E and Pod F. Now, according to SUN, we have the SHA and the [government] caught in a third lie in a little over a week. [They] released a statement saying that 20 beds had been added out of the promised approximately 110. According to SUN, in a statement, these 20 beds aren't new at all. They're just rebranded to a new service,” Jorgenson said.
“Several beds were closed to allow for renovations, and now 20 of those beds have reopened. Of the 109 promised beds that were supposed to be operational in August, most of them, to my knowledge, we have no information on and no timeline for when they will be open. What should the people of Saskatchewan expect? The people of Saskatchewan deserve clear, honest communication.”
He then asked Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill and SHA officials to demonstrate genuine concern for the health and well-being of Saskatchewan residents. He challenged them to visit a hospital to gain a clearer understanding of how ERs are overwhelmed.
“Talk to the nurses, talk to the frontline workers, and listen to them. Empathy is free, and empathy, strangely, is probably the fastest and cheapest way to improve morale. Set targets, bring about solutions. Honestly, in the bottom of my heart, I want Minister Cockrill and the SHA to succeed, because we're stuck with them for another three years. I'm asking Minister Cockrill and the SHA to prove that if 20 beds have been added in Saskatoon, those, in fact, are new beds. Show us the proof, so we know what is true and what is not,” he said.
SaskToday reached out to the government for a comment, but hasn't received a response as of publication time.
