Growing ambulance wait times in southeast Sask. worry local officials
A southeast Saskatchewan mayor is concerned about reduced ambulance services and increased wait times in the area.
Ambulances won’t be leaving the Kipling hospital often this month. Bill Sluser, the mayor of nearby Glenavon, said they have enough staff to only cover four 12-hour shifts, something that has been “going on for years.”
Communities that rely on the government-operated ambulance service have been trying to get through to Rural Health Minister Everett Hindley. Sluser said he must have called the legislative building 30 times, and only got through to the minister once.
“He said he’d get back to me in two days and to this day I haven’t heard from him or anybody from his office,” said Sluser.
The minister wasn’t available Friday to explain why he’s not available. The health ministry issued a statement that said the ministry “does not currently track ambulance service disruptions.”
“This situation in Kipling going unaddressed is completely unacceptable because we know it is impacting the whole area,” said NDP health critic Vicki Mowat.
Low pay for rural paramedics is being blamed. It’s $5an hour to be on stand-by, with extra pay only if a call comes in. The government said ambulances from other regions respond as required.
Sluser said there have been some situations where they made it “by the skin of (their) teeth.”
Nineteen rural communities with similar ambulance problems are currently banding together hoping to get their messages through to the government.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.