Over 20 EMS positions to be added in Regina: province
The Government of Saskatchewan announced it will be adding 24.5 full-time equivalent positions to Regina EMS.
“We’ve heard from residents and paramedics that we need to do more to improve ambulance response times,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said in a news release.
The positions will be phased in over the next three months, according to the province.
“We’ve seen the pressures that are in Regina and Saskatoon, we want to alleviate some of those pressures," Merriman told CTV News on Wednesday.
"But it’s not just boots on the ground, that’s a critical piece, its also about creating some efficiencies within the emergency room, within the hospital, so those paramedics when they do come in and bring a patient, they can turn that patient around quickly and get back out on the road and address the next call.”
In reference to the issue of offload delays, Merriman said pilot programs such as “treat and release” in Saskatoon are offering potential solutions.
The "treat and release" program allows paramedics to arrive on a scene, consult with a doctor and treat a patient while giving them a continuum of care to follow up with a physician.
Karen Wasylenko, President of the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan, was cautiously optimistic following the announcement.
“Well this is certainly a positive piece of news,” she told CTV News. “We’re pleased that understaffing has been recognized as a significant issue and its being addressed. Having said that, we also have to recognize that in addition to the understaffing in Regina EMS that there’s still quite a few understaffing issues in rural but this is a good step forward.”
When asked what effect the increase in staffing would have on Regina EMS, Wasylenko reiterated that only time will tell.
“I think we’re going to have to wait and see how this comes into the operations, how the SHA improves the services with these numbers and again we’ll have to wait and see if this is going to do the job.”
According to the province, EMS call volumes in Regina increased by over 14 per cent from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022.
This equals almost 27,000 calls answered in 2020-2021 and almost 31,000 calls in 2021-2022.
The new positions will help to staff two more ambulances in Regina in addition to two additional smaller paramedic response units.
Two new EMS coordinators will also be hired to support paramedics throughout the province.
The expansion of service will be funded by the existing EMS budget within the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) for a total cost of $2.4 million annually.
NDP MLA and Health Critic Vicki Mowat released a statement calling for more action on the issue of EMS service following the province's announcement.
“Simply posting a few jobs online is only the first step and Premier Moe should not be patting himself on the back until the job is actually done," the statement read.
"While this first step might improve service in Regina, we know the issues in our ambulance system are province-wide and system-wide reform is needed.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.