Request for proposal issued for additional hip and knee surgeries: SHA
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), along with the Ministry of Health, have issued a request for proposal (RFP) to provide a centre for additional hip and knee surgeries in Regina.
The RFP will begin the process to find potential third parties to provide up to 3,000 elective orthopedic surgeries per year.
Minister of Health, Paul Merriman, said issuing the RFP will help tackle the waitlist.
"Our surgical numbers are still at a high amount. This was something that we announced in the budget that we were going to increase our surgical capacity up to 97,000 this year which included all surgeries," he said.
The details of the RFP include a stand-alone surgery facility focused on orthopedics, increasing bed capacity for in-patient joint replacements, and day surgery procedures.
It will be the first privately owned health care facility in the province with operating rooms and patient beds for extended stays.
The nurses union and the NDP worry that hospital staff will move as well.
“Taking workers from the public system is, I’m afraid it’s going to make things worse,” said NDP leader Carla Beck.
The government anticipates doctors and nurses will move but will accomplish more in a private facility.
“It’s the same doctors, it’s the same staff. It’s just more efficient to be able to go through those privately run facilities as they don’t have that large administration,” Merriman said.
This is a further departure from publicly operated health care to a for profit model. The government said patients won’t have to worry about the cost because it will be covered by Medicare.
There are currently around 8,000 patients in Saskatchewan waiting for joint replacements, and the SHA said projections show the demand for orthopedic surgeries in the province will rise.
“Our surgical teams are dedicated to working through a number of challenges to address the surgical waitlist,” Vice President of Integrated Urban Health and Chief Nursing Officer for SHA, Sharon Garratt said in a news release.
The submission deadline is 2 p.m. on Sept. 12, and it is anticipated that services will be available on or before Dec. 31, 2023.
More information on the process and timelines of the RFP can be found on the SaskTenders website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.