Sask NDP touring Yorkton area with plans to end rural ER disruptions

The Saskatchewan New Democrats are touring the Parkland region, vowing to end rural emergency room disruptions if they form government this fall.

NDP candidate for Regina Douglas Park, Nicole Sarauer, announced she’d be travelling to Yorkton, Melville, Fort Qu’Appelle, and Broadview over the course of two days to speak with residents affected by disruptions to their healthcare.

“You can’t schedule an emergency. Saskatchewan deserves better. That’s what I’m fighting for. That’s what Carla Beck is fighting for. And that’s what the people of this province are asking for,” Sarauer said in a statement sent to CTV News.

“That is why we have a plan to invest in healthcare to recruit, train, and retain more health care workers.”

When stopping in Yorkton, Sarauer along with NDP candidate Lenore Pinder expressed their disappoint in continuous ER closures at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre.

“I’ve been knocking across doors all over Yorkton and the one thing I keep hearing from people is their concerns for the state of our health care system,” Pinder said at Tuesday’s press conference.

“People are struggling to find a family doctor. They have to turn to emergency centres dealing with long wait times like here at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre. Their frustrated because Scott Moe and the Sask. Party has driven our healthcare into last place.”

The party has vowed to invest $1.1 billion to recruit, train and retain frontline healthcare workers. As opposition, the Saskatchewan NDP repeatedly highlighted disruptions to rural emergency rooms, going as far to share leaked memos and the results of Freedom of Information requests.

Sarauer spoke about how the party plans to attain healthcare works in rural communities if forming government.

“One of the ideas that we’re very excited about actually came from local communities in smaller Saskatchewan is the “Grow Your Own Strategy,” where we will work with communities to both recruit and retain local Saskatchewan healthcare professionals so they can stay where they have grown up, where they’re from, and where they want to raise their families” she explained.

The Saskatchewan Party has defended its Health and Human Resources plan – with it boasting that $300 million has been put toward the program since its formation in 2022.

“We’re going to continue to invest into the facilities that (healthcare workers) are working in so they can offer that quality care they we know they strive to and know they do,” expressed Scott Moe, leader for Saskatchewan Party.

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“The investment is going to be there, as it has been under the Saskatchewan Party Government, but I would say we’re going to bring, as well, innovation to that conversation as well like the urgent care centres, like the specific announcements you've seen this week so that we're able to utilize all of the tools that we have to keep people healthier, and to ensure that our healthcare facilities do have the staff that is necessary to offer the quality of service that we know they do."

In addition to the party’s health action plan, Moe said they plan to dig deeper into the possibility of building more urgent care centres across the province.

“One of the things I think we would have early in that discussion is, is one in Regina and one in Saskatoon enough? Or do we need another one in each of those communities, do we need one in Prince Albert, do we need one in North Battleford, do we need one in Moose Jaw,” he expressed.

“That’s a conversation where we can use what is new and innovative, and what was essentially put forward as a pilot project and I would say today still is, but looking at an extremely successful pilot project is to ask the folks that use the facility, to ask the folks that are offering the services in that facility should we replicate this in larger communities in Regina and Saskatoon, or should we replicate it in some of our next larger centres.”

Moe and Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck will have a leader’s debate on Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 6:05 to 7 p.m.