It appears less Saskatchewan residents are seeing the need to travel south or west when it comes to life saving health procedures and let's hope the trend continues - not just in the larger centres of the province but for all areas, populated or not.
According to the province, more patients than ever are receiving surgical care in Saskatchewan with processes being streamlined and increased demands being better met.
"Almost four years ago, our government set the ambitious target of providing all elective surgeries within three months," Health Minister Dustin Duncan comments. "Since the introduction of this initiative, there has been a dramatic improvement in access to surgical care for the people of Saskatchewan."
Statistics indicate that provincially, there were 10,506 fewer patients waiting more than three months for surgery at the end of December than in March 2010 when the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative was launched. Of the patients receiving surgery during October, November and December, 80 per cent received it within three months of the decision to proceed with surgery.
This is good news if the numbers are truly accurate. Most in Saskatchewan long for the day when we can feel secure knowing if our health ails, there is no better place to be then right here at home, wether that be in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton or Canora. Let's keep the improvements going to ensure we get the best and the most prompt health care in the country. After all, we're worth it.
