Saskatchewan NDP calls on government to do more to address children’s hospital capacity

Saskatchewan official Opposition leader Ryan Meili called on the provincial government to do more after a notice sent out to health-care workers at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital showed inpatient capacity was at 108 per cent.

The letter, sent on Thursday morning and obtained by Global News, also stated the pediatric intensive care unit was at 125 per cent and “staffing pressures remain high.”

Sent on behalf of a manager in SHA, the letter said keeping with the current surge plan, non-urgent direct admissions are being deferred, with the date yet to be determined.

There are also discussions with surgical services taking place “about the appropriateness of continuing with booked surgeries.”

“On-service inpatient teams will be asked to: identify patients from outside of Saskatoon to be repatriated to another facility with or without concurrent care in partnership with local providers; modify management plans to expedite discharge; (and) restrict admission to only urgent cases.”

Meili described the capacity at JPCH as “bursting at the seams.”

7:37 The Future of Healthcare

Premier Scott Moe agreed that there is some “localized pressures” particularly in urban centres.

“We are thankful we have the investment in infrastructure such as the (JPCH), we’re thankful for the initiatives over the last dozen years resulting in about 1,000 doctors that are offering services here in Saskatchewan,” Moe said.

Moe also pointed to the recently tabled budget that earmarks $318.7-million in new spending for health care, some of which will be focused on recruiting and retaining health-care workers.

Meili asked for a plan from the government that would ensure every child that needs a bed, has one available.

Moe again stated the government would put support in place to hire and train more health-care workers. He added there may be a “little challenge” at the JPCH but the overall provincial capacity is at 93 per cent.

“Tell that to the parents of a kid who’s been in (the emergency room) for three days. Tell that to the pediatricians and the nurses who are run off their feet, who are scared of what’s going to happen to those sick kids because they aren’t able to take care of them,” Meili responded.

Health Minister Paul Merriman said the province has equipment and overflow capacity to ensure patients are safe.

Global News has reached out to the Saskatchewan Health Authority. This article will be updated when a response is received.