'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
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.