Concerns over staff and patient safety at St. Paul’s Hospital have intensified following reports of a violent incident involving weapons late last month. Both the Saskatchewan NDP and SEIU-West are calling for immediate action, citing what they describe as a growing crisis inside Saskatoon’s overburdened hospitals.
According to information released by the Saskatchewan NDP, the November 27 incident involved a patient who was allegedly found in possession of a firearm and three knives. The patient is reported to have used one knife to repeatedly stab the window of an isolation room, while also threatening to sexually assault and kill a frontline healthcare worker. Police were called twice that evening: once after housekeeping staff discovered the firearm, and a second time due to the patient’s violent behavior.
“This is a horrific series of events — no one deserves to experience this kind of terror and threat to their personal safety at their place of work,” said NDP Labour Shadow Minister Nathaniel Teed, noting that the incident is not isolated. He and other Opposition members say they have received additional reports of illicit drug activity and repeated safety breaches within the facility.
The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) released a video detailing the event, drawing further attention to concerns long raised by healthcare workers. The union also revealed that a metal detector originally intended for St. Paul’s was instead relocated to another facility due to staffing shortages and layout limitations. That decision has become a focal point of criticism.
“Why is the safety of workers at St. Paul’s not being taken seriously?” asked NDP Deputy Shadow Health Minister Keith Jorgenson, warning that unsafe workplaces worsen Saskatchewan’s existing problems with healthcare recruitment and retention. “Frontline healthcare workers must feel safe and know that their government has their backs.”
SEIU-West, which represents thousands of healthcare workers across the province, echoed these concerns in its own release, stating that the presence of weapons inside hospitals is a widespread issue, not unique to St. Paul’s. The union pointed to the recent installation of a metal detector at Royal University Hospital (RUH), saying it has already intercepted dangerous contraband that might otherwise have entered the building unnoticed.
“Unfortunately, this kind of incident and weaponry is not exclusive to St. Paul’s Hospital,” SEIU-West said. “At Royal University Hospital, without the newly installed metal detector, these items would have gone unnoticed and possibly resulted in injuries or deaths.”
Both SEIU-West and the Saskatchewan NDP are calling for the immediate installation of a metal detector at St. Paul’s, along with strengthened security protocols to restore confidence for staff, patients, and families seeking care.
“Hospitals are meant to be places of healing, not violence,” SEIU-West emphasized, adding that long-term solutions must include greater investment in mental health and addictions services, including harm reduction initiatives.
The NDP is demanding that the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority present an emergency safety plan for St. Paul’s this week.
As of Monday, the province had not publicly responded to the opposition’s latest call for action.
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