Sask. health-care providers sound the alarm as hospitals deal with overcapacity, shortages

The Omicron-fuelled fifth wave of the pandemic has only begun in Saskatchewan, but already the province's emergency departments are feeling the impact.

Dr. Brian Geller, a Regina emergency physician, said he saw more people than ever seek care due to COVID-19 over the holidays.

Geller said fewer health-care workers and more patients have meant longer wait times and strain on those who do make it to work.

"There's been multiple times when extra physicians are required [in the emergency room] and we aren't able to find them, and the nursing complement is less than optimal," he explained. "When you put that all together, it's the perfect storm for people to be waiting, but also for bad outcomes for families."

CBC News reached out to the Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) on Tuesday, asking about the province's plan to deal with the surge in people needing emergency care. By early Thursday afternoon, the SHA hadn't fulfilled the request.

On Wednesday, the SHA's Twitter account pointed to the "severe overcapacity" specifically at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital.

"We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate through this challenging time," the SHA said in a tweet to a family member raising concern about her sister's care. 

On Thursday, the Saskatchewan government reported 913 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, but that number doesn't include anyone who tested positive on a rapid test and didn't confirm with a PCR test, or is unknowingly carrying the virus.

With hospitalizations being a lagging indicator, Geller said he'll be interested to see how many of those cases transform into hospital stays. 

He said Saskatchewan will likely begin to see the hospital bed crunch and intensive care unit numbers experienced in the pandemic's fourth wave by the end of this month or early next.

"If things go the way they look like they're going, my estimation is that we'll be in a worse situation than we were with Delta," Geller said, noting hospitals out of province might not have the capacity to take on Saskatchewan patients.

In Saskatoon, intensive care physician Dr. Hassan Masri is also keeping a close eye on staff shortages as COVID-19 test positivity rates rise.

"You cannot produce personnel overnight," he said. "I am very worried about this transmission that we're seeing and I worry that we won't have enough staff to care for those patients who are being admitted to the hospital."

Dr. Alex Wong, an infectious diseases physician in Regina, said he also foresees the current health-care worker shortages to worsen in the weeks ahead.