Saskatoon’s emergency rooms are overwhelmed and Saskatoon City Hospital once again is reducing its ER hours, the Saskatchewan NDP is demanding urgent action to address what they call a healthcare recruitment failure by the provincial government.
“The Sask Party has been claiming for years their health recruitment strategy is working when we can see with our own eyes it’s failing,” said Keith Jorgenson, NDP MLA for Churchill-Wildwood.
“Emergency rooms are closing, doctors are leaving our communities. They’re hiring middle-managers and bureaucrats rather than hiring frontline healthcare workers.”
The latest cutbacks at Saskatoon City Hospital will see its emergency room closing at 6 pm CST due to staffing shortages, further reducing emergency care options in the city.
Meanwhile, other Saskatoon ERs are operating at a staggering 200% to 350% capacity, with some of the longest wait times in Canada.
Sask NDP has long pushed for Saskatoon City Hospital’s ER to be open 24/7 to ease the strain on the city’s emergency system. Rather than hiring more administrators at the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), the opposition party is urging the government to prioritize hiring doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers.
The crisis extends beyond Saskatoon, with emergency services in rural areas also struggling. In November, a Lloydminster patient died in an ambulance after being diverted to a hospital three times farther away due to service disruptions.
“We’re already seeing patients affected by these closures—people have even died,” Jorgenson said. “You can’t schedule an emergency. That’s ridiculous. Access can mean life or death. These emergency rooms should be open 24/7.”
Sask NDP is calling for more frontline healthcare workers to be hired instead of additional bureaucrats. They argue that converting part-time and casual positions into full-time roles would help attract and retain much-needed healthcare staff. Additionally, the party wants to see a reduction in healthcare bureaucracy, ensuring that funds are redirected to frontline care rather than administrative costs. They maintain that emergency departments across the province should be fully operational around the clock to prevent further crises.
Jorgenson says the situation is unacceptable in a province that prides itself on being the birthplace of Canadian Medicare.
“It’s clear things need to change,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not your local ER is open when you’re dealing with an emergency. It’s time we had a healthcare system that reflects Saskatchewan’s legacy.”
