Sask NDP MLA Meara Conway says Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill is dismissing a province wide emergency room (ER) crisis by pointing to a virtual physician service meant only to back up in-person care.During Question Period, Conway hammered Cockrill with numbers she called “alarming.” Conway pointed out that ERs have sat dark for a combined 4,000 days in the past five years while obstetric wards have had 500 closure days. “Virtual care is not a substitute for virtually no care,” the Regina Elphinstone–Centre MLA told the legislature. “Does the Minister of Health actually think that a virtual physician can treat a broken leg, appendicitis, a heart attack, abdominal pain, confusion, a sick kid, a mental health crisis virtually?”.Cockrill countered that the virtual physician program is a “stabilization strategy” used more than 1,500 times in almost 30 rural communities. Cockrill said that front-line nurses and technicians connect with remote doctors through HealthLine to keep basic services running while the province continues looking for more staff. “It isn’t the final solution,” said Cockrill.Conway laughed off the defence, asking how a woman in labour should “position the webcam” if her local ward is shut. She pointed to the case of Kendal Carlberg, who delivered a baby on the roadside after being turned away from her closed hospital. .“The people of La Loche, they need an emergency room. The people of Shellbrook, they need an emergency room,” said Conway. “The women of Saskatchewan do not want to find themselves in the situation of Kendal Carlberg, who went into labour, was turned away from her local hospital, and ended up giving birth on the side of the road.”Cockrill insisted progress is coming under what he called “the nation’s most ambitious” healthcare human resources plan. The government says 424 full-time positions have been filled through a rural and remote recruitment incentive, and 16 additional communities were added to the program this month. According to Cockrill, most service interruptions last less than 24 hours.Conway remained unconvinced, demanding a clear timeline to restore round the clock emergency and obstetric care.
