Paul Merriman says he is responsible for everything that happens in Saskatchewan’s health-care system.
However, Saskatchewan’s health minister stopped short of apologizing as a surge in COVID-19 cases is leaving the health-care system teetering with cancelled surgeries and a suspended organ transplant program.
Merriman made the statement at his first press conference in 35 days.
“I absolutely do take responsibility for everything, the good, the bad and everything in between that happens within a health-care system,” he said.
“There hasn’t been a day this year where I haven’t been in contact with my officials, with my chief of staff, with people within the health-care system. I have yet to take a day off to be able to manage this unprecedented time that we’re in the best we can.”
Opposition Leader Ryan Meili said Merriman ought to have used today’s briefing to instead announce his resignation.
“The fact that he finally came out of hiding to hold a press conference to announce the federal government will be providing rapid testing kits to Saskatchewan in two weeks, 20 months into the pandemic, isn’t something to celebrate — it’s just further proof how low the bar has been set by this failed health minister,” Meili said in a statement.
Meili said Merriman ought to have asked for help from the federal government to help overwhelmed hospitals, bring in isolation requirements for school children who test positive and release COVID-19 modelling.
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On Wednesday, Saskatchewan reported 295 people were being treated in hospital for COVID-19, 67 of whom were in intensive care.
According to health officials, 75 per cent of the 295 patients who were eligible for vaccination were not fully immunized.
Merriman said the way out of the pandemic is for people to get vaccinated.
He said that would have the “biggest impact on our health-care system versus anything else.”
“But we’re also complementing that with some public health restrictions to be able to make sure that we’re flattening out this curve as much as possible. And as you can see, our numbers have stabilized at a very high rate, but they have stabilized.”
Prior to Wednesday’s briefing, the Saskatchewan Medical Association and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses jointly asked the provincial government to reinstate gathering limits for both public and private events.
SMA president Dr. Eben Strydom said that measure would help mitigate the fourth wave.
“Mask mandates and vaccination requirements are essential but are not enough against the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
“With the approach of colder weather, gatherings will move indoors, creating the potential for surges in cases.”
SUN president Tracy Zambory said people will die without limiting gathering sizes.
“Registered nurses are disheartened to see preventable hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19. They are upset. They are weary,” she said.
“I have heard their stories borne of anger, frustration and fear for their patients. The government cannot ignore the pleas of the province’s health-care community any longer.”
The head of the Canadian Medical Association said on Wednesday that “extraordinary measures” are needed in Saskatchewan and Alberta to stop COVID-19 surges.
Dr. Katharine Smart, head of the CMA, said Saskatchewan has a crumbling health-care system and called on the Saskatchewan government to increase vaccination through mandatory inoculation in health-care settings.
She also said the province should consider implementing “firebreakers” or “circuit breakers.”
“Any and all measures available must be applied to curb the rate of mortality, support workers and start addressing the consequences of patients’ whose care is now on hold indefinitely,” she said.
“This is a time for courageous action, and for politics to step out of the way of needed collaboration.”
—With files from Aaron D’Andrea and Moises Canales-Lavigne
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