Saskatchewan’s health minister is pushing back against an open letter calling for improvements to emergency departments across the province.
The letter, signed by 445 health professionals and front-line workers, is calling for Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill and the provincial government to provide some relief for capacity and safety issues.
Patient safety is being compromised in Saskatchewan emergency departments, the letter said, due to space limitations and irregular monitoring.
In a statement Wednesday, Cockrill said the province is committed to increasing capacity and addressing the challenges facing health-care workers.
“We are delivering solutions by expanding acute care capacity and supporting the dedicated staff who provide care every day,” the statement said.
“The Saskatchewan Health Authority is moving forward with a major expansion at Saskatoon City Hospital, adding 109 new acute care beds. Once complete, this project will increase Saskatoon’s acute care capacity by 14 per cent and improve patient flow across the city.”
Cockrill said the implementation of a new phone triage system in Saskatoon and Regina is helping to ease ER pressures by improving response times and directing non-emergency callers to the appropriate resources.
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He also cited the ongoing construction of new urgent care centres in both cities as examples of Saskatchewan’s proactive work.
The letter, written by clinical co-ordinator Sara Peters, calls for the province to re-engage with stakeholders to address critical, ongoing issues.
“As a front-line emergency nurse and a clinical leader, I have witnessed first-hand how systemic inefficiencies are leading to unsustainable pressures on staff, increasing risk of patient harm, and exacerbating moral injury across the emergency sector,” Peters said in the letter.
“What were once exceptional circumstances have become daily realities: hallway care, unsafe patient loads, and moral distress among dedicated professionals doing their best under impossible conditions.
“These challenges are not isolated-they are deeply interconnected and require a coordinated, policy-driven response.”
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