Cam Broten, the leader of the New Democratic Party in Saskatchewan committed to cutting a bloated management system in health care, and redirect those resources to where they’re needed, front line patient care.
The announcement was made on March 13 as the NDP continued to release more of their party’s platform in the provincial general election campaign.
Broten said the NDP would eliminate $25 million in upper management in health care and redirect every dollar saved to create front-line positions like nurses and continuing care aides.
“We don’t need more highly paid bureaucrats and layers of management in our hospitals. We need more nurses and care workers to provide the care the people of Saskatchewan expect and deserve,” said Broten. “The long wait for a nurse to come in acute care, the call bells going unanswered in seniors’ care and the staff run off their feet and getting burned out — that all has to stop.”
Between 2011 and 2014 alone, the number of managers grew by about 10 per cent at an estimated cost of $25 million. In contrast, 225 front-line jobs in Prince Albert’s health region are being left intentionally vacant, internal documents show the Sask. Party is cutting 150 front-line workers in Regina’s health region, and Saskatoon’s region is bracing for job cuts, he added.
Broten said he felt the Sask. Party had “messed up” priorities with health care not seeing improvements during the good economic times and now patients weren’t able to trust them to protect and invest in care now that economic conditions had tightened.
