Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck has promised to hire 800 new frontline health-care workers over four years if her party wins the upcoming provincial election.
The party has already pledged to spend $1.1 billion to help train and retain health-care workers.
The 800 positions would be focused on the areas of highest need as residents face extended wait times for emergency services, surgeries and family doctors. In addition, emergency room closures and service blackouts have been widely reported.
Beck claims 4,000 health-care workers left the workforce last year alone. The NDP says it aims to reduce turnover within healthcare by half if elected.
As part of her platform, Beck has also vowed to convert part-time job postings to full-time and work with those on the front lines to ensure new staff are being retained.
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“What we’re talking about is thousands more frontline nurses, doctors and other dedicated professionals in our hospitals ready and supported to provide care for the people of Saskatchewan,” Beck said.
“Saskatchewan healthcare is in last place because Scott Moe and the Sask. Party put us there. But that’s a choice. We can make a different choice — to change the government and focus from Day 1 on delivering better healthcare.”
The Thanksgiving long weekend saw the NDP hammer the issue of healthcare with dual events in Regina.
On Sunday, the party highlighted concerns over pay and working conditions from health-care professionals, while Monday saw the party highlight a Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) memo outlining a service blackout of interventional radiology services in Regina due to a lack of doctors.
The Saskatchewan Party platform has highlighted the $7.6 billion invested into healthcare in the province’s most recent budget – along with its Health and Human Resources Program which has received $300 million since 2022.
-With files from The Canadian Press.
