SASKATOON — As the last week of August wraps up, opposition New Democrats have again turned their attention to health care conditions in the province.
On Thursday, the NDP again took aim at conditions in maternity wards in Saskatoon and Regina. They accused the Sask Party government of lying about conditions.
In a news release, the NDP pointed to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses releasing anonymous complaints from front-line health-care workers on staffing and bed shortages, outdated and faulty equipment, and inadequate care in maternity wards at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and the Regina General Hospital.
They accused the Sask. Party of attempting to explain the situation away as “an extremely high number of births” in the month of July.
Instead the NDP pointed to an internal memo leaked to them from someone inside one of the Saskatoon hospitals. The NDP says the memo showed the number of deliveries in that unit was 492 in July— the same number as in July 2024.
The situation has drawn the further ire of NDP Health Critic Meara Conway, who has previously been critical of the government for overcapacity issues in the neonatal unit at Regina General Hospital.
“The Sask. Party is clearly lying in a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that they cut the health-care budget and are driving nurses and doctors out of Saskatchewan,” said Conway in a statement.
She said Premier Scott Moe and Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill “need to apologize to the women of Saskatchewan and explain how they let things get so bad.”
In a news release the NDP also accused the government of trying to cover the situation up.
“After 18 years in power, the Sask. Party is more focused on trying to cover up issues than on fixing them,” said Jared Clarke, critic for Rural and Remote Health, in a statement.
In response, the government provided a statement in which they said the Saskatchewan Health Authority is “committed to providing safe, accessible and high-quality care. We extend our sincere appreciation to our health-care teams for their continued professionalism and dedication in delivering care to Saskatchewan families.”
They pointed to over 16 full-time nursing positions added to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital maternal unit nursing baseline, and five additional full-time clinical resources nurse positions. They also pointed to investments in Saskatoon City Hospital with an additional $30 million for staffing and minor renovation/equipment costs to open 109 acute medicine beds.
The government statement also took aim at Conway for “having repeatedly claimed the government hasn’t provided information.” The government stated that the SHA “responded to her questions months ago.”
“She continues to suggest data is being withheld, even though all responses were sent and available. Mothers and babies deserve facts, not fear from the lost, reckless, and dishonest NDP. The People of Saskatchewan are still waiting for an apology from the NDP for falsely claiming last spring, that women and newborn babies were being sent out of province to receive care, a claim that was proven to be a lie.”
