'Step in the right direction': Sask. government works to end healthcare disruption in Balcarres
The Town of Balcarres has been delivered a new set of promises from the provincial government regarding the reopening of the lab department at the Balcarres Integrated Care Centre.
The community in east central Saskatchewan has been without full service delivery at the hospital’s lab since the beginning of the pandemic.
The provincial government promised that service would be restored by Aug. 2 or 3. Something that still hasn’t happened.
Balcarres was given a more detailed rundown on how service will return during discussions with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the Ministry of Health, according to acting Mayor Kirby Korchinski.
Korchinski said he will remain diligent on checking in and monitoring the situation, as no word on the return of the cut acute care beds has been made.
Korchinski said the hospital is integral for the community of around 500 residents.
“Folks are feeling pretty positive about that. It's good to hear that our concerns were taken seriously. You know, there's some interest in rectifying it, getting the equipment in place,” he said.
“I think most people look at all that and say these are good steps in the right direction. You know, and we're going to kind of keep monitoring and see what happens.”
The new promises include the return of the lab equipment, which included a detailed rundown on where the equipment is and it’s ordering status.
Staffing the lab — another promise that wasn’t met by deadline — has now been resolved.
The town received a confirmation from Corey Miller, Vice President of the health authority’s provincial programs on Aug. 9, which detailed the posting with a closing date of Aug. 15.
Minister of Rural and Remote Health Care, Everett Hindley, released a statement on Aug. 4 about the ongoing situation. In the statement, the minister admitted “communication should have been better.”
Hindley continued to note that he clarified the promise to the health authority, which was noted in the Town of Balcarres’ press release Monday.
Korchinski adds that a meeting between the town and Hindley is scheduled for Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.