Sask. NDP says lack of request for federal health-care workers from province is 'baffling'
CBC
The leader of Saskatchewan's Opposition says Premier Scott Moe should be asking the federal government to send health-care workers to the province to help in the fight against COVID-19.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili's comments came on Wednesday, after the newly created Provincial Emergency Operations Centre held its first COVID-19 technical briefing.
The formation of the entity — intended to streamline the province's COVID-19 response and jointly led by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Ministry of Health — was announced last week by the provincial government.
At Wednesday's briefing, Public Safety Agency president Marlo Pritchard said the province has not formally requested federal help.
Pritchard said the province is in talks with Ontario about sending Saskatchewan intensive care patients east for care if necessary.
"We are days away from having to send patients out of province. We are days away from doctors having to decide who will get life-saving triage and who will not," Pritchard said.
During Wednesday morning's briefing, health authority president Scott Livingstone said the province is "already over our capacity in ICU. So any major events … we would be triaging patients and sending out of province."