Sask. nurses' union 'profoundly disappointed' in health budget
The president of the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) says her membership, particularly those in their mid to late careers, are being “ignored” by the health budget released Wednesday.
“The fact that the healthcare system is collapsing around our ears, has collapsed in some instances, has been ignored,” Tracy Zambory told CTV News.
Hospitals are spread so thin that they’re having to turn people away because there’s no staff to care for patients, she says, including a recent incident where Regina General had to bypass to Pasqua Hospital, and another at the Yorkton ICU.
“We were in such dire straits that the ICU in Yorkton had to go on bypass because there are not enough registered nurses … It’s shocking that there could be such tone deafness and what’s actually going on in health care in this province,” she said.
The province is hanging its hat on recruitment and ignoring the retention side of the puzzle, Zambory says.
At the operating room of Regina General Hospital, she says SUN just found out there are 13 nursing vacancies.
“How are we going to manage, you know, catching up with all of the surgical waitlists that we have on or hands,” she said. “We need to start talking to people and saying, ‘why are you leaving?’”
Zambory says some of the nursing initiatives in the budget like the money for a travel pool were not even something nurses asked for.
“We are in trouble and nothing in this budget is going to change things for registered nurses and the government has done so at their own peril by ignoring all of the conversations that we’ve had,” she said. “We did not discuss a travel nurse pool … there was no discussion with registered nurses or the union on how that would work, if it actually is doable.”
If the Sask. Party was serious about dealing with the 900 current registered nurse vacancies, they would have used some of the $1 billion surplus to work with SUN directly through a task force, says Zambory.
-With files from Laura Woodward
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 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.
BREAKING 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.
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.
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.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
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.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.