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
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.