NDP Health Critic Meara Conway is sounding the alarm over what she calls an escalating healthcare crisis in rural Saskatchewan, pointing to new data obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that details thousands of days of service disruptions across the province.
Speaking during a media availability on her rural healthcare tour, Conway said the data confirms that Saskatchewan’s healthcare system is in deeper crisis than many realize.
“On the surface, we’ve seen closures to maternity wards, emergency rooms, diagnostics, CT scanners and more,” she said. “This FOI data shows that across the province, maternity wards were closed for a total of 500 days. Emergency and acute care services were shut down for nearly 4,000 days.”
Conway said these disruptions are forcing people to travel farther and wait longer for care, with many still lacking access to a family doctor or consistent primary care.
In the Kindersley-Biggar region specifically, data shows 341 days of health service disruptions across four facilities: the Kindersley and District Health Centre, Biggar and District Health Centre, Kerrobert Health Centre, and St. Joseph’s Integrated Health Centre. Of those, 77 days were obstetric disruptions—all in Kindersley—making the community an outlier for maternity closures. Emergency department disruptions in Kindersley, Biggar and Kerrobert totalled 100 days, and there were 63 days of diagnostic service interruptions across all facilities.
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“This is not just about numbers—it’s about real people, real lives,” said Conway. “People deserve to know whether their ER is open before they drive themselves or a loved one in crisis, not when they see a sign taped to the door.”
The NDP critic also raised concerns about a $17-million decrease in healthcare spending outlined in the 2024-25 provincial budget.
“There’s been debate in the legislature over whether this constitutes a cut. The Sask. Party compares this year’s budget to last year’s budgeted amount, but we’re comparing it to what was actually spent,” said Conway. “With growing challenges in the healthcare system and a rising population, we can’t afford any cuts right now—we should be investing.”
She added that short-term fixes, such as the use of travel nurses, are costly and lead to increased burnout among local healthcare workers.
“These temporary nurses are expensive and often can’t manage the same complexity of care as local nurses. It’s creating resentment and straining our system further.”
Conway also cited examples like the case of Kendall Karlberg, a Meadow Lake resident who gave birth en route to Lloydminster after being turned away due to local maternity service closures—an incident she said underscores the risks families are facing.
While COVID-19 exacerbated many of these problems, Conway emphasized the cracks in the system were already present. She said many rural communities are now feeling taken for granted, despite being traditional strongholds of support for the governing Saskatchewan Party.
“Healthcare is essential for community vibrancy and sustainability. When people can’t access basic services where they live, they’re more likely to leave—and that weakens the social and economic fabric of rural Saskatchewan.”
Conway has provided Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill with a letter outlining 32 recommendations to address rural healthcare staffing and service challenges. These include ideas like return-of-service agreements for newly trained doctors and nurses, investments in team-based care hubs, and improved supports to recruit and retain professionals in rural areas.
“Many of these solutions require upfront investment but would save money long-term and deliver better care,” she said. “This province is the birthplace of Medicare. We owe it to people to do better than closures, chaos and chronic short staffing.”
The NDP plans to release the full FOI dataset to the public, along with a detailed breakdown of service disruptions by community.
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