In a medical emergency, the last thing most of us want to worry about is paying for parking.
But a change to parking at Regina’s general hospital and Pasqua hospital has families running to move their cars.
It’s a move made by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), which now forces people to pay at parking meters in the emergency department.
That means when someone visits an emergency room, they will be forced to pay for parking.
Saskatchewan Health Minister Everett Hindley said the move aligns with practices at the other SHA hospitals in Saskatoon, but he doesn’t want it to be a burden on families.
“At a time where you may be visiting a hospital in an emergency situation that’s obviously not ideal and (parking) is the last thing on your mind,” Hindley said. “You’re wanting to get parked and get your family member or your friend or whoever it is, the care that they need.
“It would be my expectation that the SHA be mindful of those circumstances.”
Hindley said he will discuss the changes further with the SHA and find more reasons behind the change.
For Saskatchewan NDP health critic Vicki Mowat, the simple fact is patients shouldn’t have to pay when they need to go to the emergency room.
“They are in an emergency situation, they shouldn’t have to get out their credit card or download an app when someone is having an emergency in their family,” Mowat said. “They shouldn’t come back from an emergency room with a parking ticket.”
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