CUPE 5430, the union representing more than 14,000 health care workers across Saskatchewan, is sounding the alarm over a new Saskatchewan Health Authority, SHA, policy. The change allows rural emergency rooms to be listed as “open” despite minimal staffing on site - and without adequate diagnostic, imaging, or support staff available.
CUPE 5430 warns that an ER cannot function safely without the full team required to assess, diagnose, and stabilize patients.
“This policy was rolled out without any consultation or feedback from frontline health care workers. We found out about it through the media, which is completely unacceptable” said CUPE 5430 President Bashir Jalloh. “This policy creates the illusion of access to care while putting patients at risk.”
“This change completely ignores the critical role that diagnostic testing and medical imaging play in our health care system,” added Jalloh. “There is also nothing in place to ensure that Emergency Medical Responders in rural Saskatchewan know which facilities are fully operational. That creates dangerous delays and uncertainty in emergency situations.”
Over the weekend multiple communities including Canora, Wilkie, Kipling, Kamsack, Herbert, and Wolseley experienced temporary ER closures, highlighting ongoing staffing shortages and the growing strain on rural health care.
Jalloh also noted that “the people of Saskatchewan deserve real access to emergency care - not a policy that pretends services exist when they don’t. This government needs to invest in real solutions to address retention – like bargaining a fair collective agreement for health care providers.”