Saskatchewan asks other provinces if they can spare ICU staff amid COVID-19 crisis
Saskatchewan is asking other provinces if they have health-care workers they could send if needed in the coming days to help its struggling intensive care units.
Marlo Pritchard, head of the government's emergency operations centre, says half of the provinces contacted have indicated they are unable to help with Saskatchewan's COVID-19 crisis. He did not say which provinces might be able to provide workers.
Saskatchewan is looking for people who typically work in ICUs, including nurses, respiratory therapists and perfusionists -- staff who operate heart-lung machines.
Pritchard said the province will monitor its need for out-of-province workers over the weekend and into next week.
Saskatchewan has already said it is preparing to send COVID-19 patients to Ontario and possibly to Manitoba.
The province has been running out of intensive care unit space and staff, as mostly unvaccinated COVID-19 patients overwhelm its health-care system.
Derek Miller of the Saskatchewan Health Authority said the province has redeployed 600 health-care workers from surgeries and other services to deal with the province's fourth wave. Additionally, 175 workers have been redeployed to ICU wards.
"We are currently managing a high level of patients in our ICUs, and we've been doing that for a number of weeks now, and the priority is to provide the best possible care," Miller said Friday.
The federal government recently sent eight critical care nurses to Alberta to help in its ICUs.
The Saskatchewan Party government said it has not yet requested health-care workers from Ottawa, but has asked for supplies.
Health Canada said it has approved Saskatchewan's request for four million rapid antigen tests for October and four million for November, all of which will be made available to residents for free.
Saskatchewan will also be getting doses of monoclonal antibody treatments, which helps treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in people who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19, including hospitalizations and death, said a Health Canada spokesperson.
The province said it is also preserving health-care workers by implementing a proof-of-vaccination policy to ensure they are safe.
About 98 per cent of the 40,000 health-care workers in Saskatchewan have declared they are or intend to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the province's November deadline, Miller said.
He added that 400 people are declaring they will show a proof of negative test to attend work, with another 400 people declaring a medical or religious exemption, but they will also have to show proof of negative test.
Those who don't follow the health authority's policy will be let go.
On Friday, Saskatchewan reported 312 new cases, with 339 people in hospital, including 78 in intensive care.
Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, said cases are slightly down from the previous weeks, but it's too early to tell if it's a trend.
"Even if we're plateauing, we're plateauing at a high level and that's generating fairly high rates of ICU admissions," Shahab said, adding more restrictions may be needed.
"Anytime you have to cancel (health-care services) because you have to look after a vaccine-preventable disease -- to me -- is a call to action to bring our numbers down."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.