Sask. NDP says children's hospital battling capacity issues, calls on government to act
CBC
The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the provincial government to address recent overcapacity issues at Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon.
During question period on Thursday in Regina, Opposition NDP Leader Ryan Meili said pediatric units at the children's hospital are at "code black level."
"On Tuesday the in-patient ward was at 106 per cent capacity," Meili said.
"Three kids were sitting in emergency who should have been admitted to the ward. On Wednesday, they were at 108 per cent capacity; there were four kids stuck in emergency," Meili said.
His information came from a letter sent on behalf of Jonathan Melville from the Saskatchewan Health Authority on Wednesday, a copy of which was provided to CBC. It was titled "URGENT."
"All pediatric areas … continue to be overcapacity this morning," the letter says.
It says that "non-urgent direct admissions are being deferred to a date TBD," and that "discussions are being had with surgical services about the appropriateness of continuing with booked surgeries."
Meili said that the pediatric intensive care unit has been at 125 per cent capacity all week. That, he said, means there are 15 very sick kids in a 12-bed unit.
"The units are all completely strained — not enough staff, no way to deal with this added level of care.... What is the immediate plan to make sure that every Saskatchewan kid who needs a bed has a place to go?"
Premier Scott Moe called the situation at Jim Pattison a "little challenge."
"Our provincial [hospital bed] capacity is at 93 per cent," he said during question period.
"We would expect and understand that those that are making the decisions with respect to allocating the folks that need those services to the resources, and where those resources are available, are doing so."
Moe said his Saskatchewan Party government will not make decisions about health resources on the floor of the legislature. He also said the province has launched a plan to recruit more health-care workers. That, he said, will help to alleviate capacity concerns.
Following question period, Health Minister Paul Merriman told reporters that Meili is "fear mongering."
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