Saskatchewan hospitals report 1,305 service disruptions since 2019, data shows

Data from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), obtained by the provincial NDP through a freedom of information request, shows that between August 2019 and May 2024, there were more than 200,000 hours of healthcare blackouts at 58 hospitals and health centres, not including Saskatoon and Regina.

Rural Saskatchewan hospitals have continued to experience service disruptions daily over the past five years.

Data from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), obtained by the provincial NDP through a freedom of information request, shows that between August 2019 and May 2024, there were more than 200,000 hours of healthcare blackouts at 58 hospitals and health centres, not including Saskatoon and Regina.

"We believe that this is a management issue on the government's part for how they are allocating and treating workers," NDP critic for rural and remote health Jared Clarke said. "There's enough money in the healthcare budget to prioritize providing the supports and services that Saskatchewan people need when they need it in their communities. It's time to get Saskatchewan out of last place."

This equates to a total of 8,613 days of lost service for patients with 1,305 distinct closures in total.

During the nearly five-year stretch, emergency rooms were hit the hardest – recording 617 distinct closures amounting to 4,299 lost days.

Basic radiology and laboratory services had 127 closures totaling 844 lost days, the data showed.

The disruptions worsened dramatically in 2022, rising from 163 in 2021 to 399. That number increased to 455 in 2023. Between January and May of this year, there have been 122 closures.