'Russian roulette': Fire chief, Sask. NDP warn of health-care crisis along busy Highway 11

The volunteer fire chief in Davidson, Sask., says a lack of consistent services and doctors at the local hospital is forcing his team into a dangerous game of "Russian roulette," as they try to fill gaps in the health-care system along one of the busiest stretches of Highway 11. 

Standing outside the town’s firehall during a Friday news conference, Cory Dean and Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck called for urgent provincial investment in rural emergency care, warning the current situation leaves significant gaps.

When an emergency such as a heart attack, fire or car accident arises, "we're the ones that get called to it," Dean said in a news release issued Friday by the NDP.

He said he's personally aware of cases where both of Davidson's ambulances were out on calls and no doctor was available in town.

Davidson sits roughly halfway between Regina and Saskatoon on Highway 11. Its health centre is the only facility capable of stabilizing trauma patients between the two major cities, the NDP's news release said.

However, on several occasions last year, the centre operated with no doctor on site, relying instead on virtual coverage by off-site physicians, according to the release.

In response to a request for comment, the Ministry of Health's communications office issued a prepared statement.

In addition to physician recruitment and retention initiatives, the "virtual physician" program in 29 communities and point-of-care testing (POCT) in 11 communities "has helped to strengthen emergency services in rural and remote communities," the statement said.

"As of the end of January 2026, the Virtual Physician program has helped to avoid more than 5,220 potential emergency room service disruptions province-wide, including more than 240 times in Davidson. As of mid-January, POCT has also helped to avoid 317 service disruptions province-wide."

The SHA has a "multi-year EMS stabilization plan to strengthen emergency services in several communities," and has spent almost $18 million since 2022 "for an additional 200 full-time equivalent (FTE) paramedic positions in 68 rural EMS services across the province," the statement added.

"To support recruitment for EMS services, the provincial government has also added 100 training seats annually (from 152 to 252) for primary care paramedics and provided over $2.18 million to support over 200 training bursaries for EMS providers and provide training and licensing support for emergency medical responders."

Dean said the Davidson Volunteer Fire Department’s medical and accident calls have more than doubled over the last five years. 

When the local emergency room cannot admit a patient due to staffing shortages, ambulances have to transfer them to nearby cities, leaving the local area without ambulance service for hours, he said. 

"That’s a lot of what’s happening" in the area, Dean said at Friday's news conference, adding that he wants to see more provincial funding for rural departments like his.