‘No improvement’: Beauval mayor demands action over ongoing health-care disruptions

The health centre serves not only its own residents but also those from the neighbouring communities of Lac La Plonge, English River First Nation, Cole Bay, Jans Bay and Canoe Lake First Nation.

Laliberte said the village sent letters to Saskatchewan’s ministers of health and rural health requesting a meeting to develop a strategy for recruiting and retaining nursing staff. So far, he said, there has been no response.

“The lack of communication is concerning,” he said. “Is this not a priority for them? People here are aware of the service disruptions, but we need solutions.”

The Ministry of Health said in a statement to meadowlakeNOW that while primary care services are affected, the clinic remains open for home care, physician services, mental health and addiction services, and public health programs.

The province says it has added 250 new or expanded health-care positions in 51 rural and remote communities, including nurses, paramedics, and technologists, in an effort to stabilize staffing levels. Additional recruitment efforts are ongoing.

“We are committed to restoring health care services in communities that are experiencing temporary service disruptions due to staffing challenges as soon as possible,” they said.

However, Laliberte said Beauval has not seen any benefit from these measures.

“We’ve heard nothing,” he said. “No communication, no improvement.”

Laliberte is calling for a regional approach to health care, where northern municipalities and First Nations work together instead of relying on separate, sometimes competing systems.

“We can’t even deliver a baby up north,” he said. “Mothers have to travel south, away from their families and support systems. That needs to change.”

(Facebool/ Beauval Recreation Board)

Athabasca MLA Leroy Laliberte echoed the concerns, saying health-care disruptions are affecting multiple northern communities.

“This is totally unacceptable,” he said. “People are being forced to travel long distances, sometimes out of province, for care. In Saskatchewan, we’re in last place when it comes to health care. People are dying without services.”

He criticized the provincial government’s handling of the crisis, saying its recruitment strategies are failing.

“The Sask. Party keeps saying their health recruitment strategy is working, but we see with our own eyes that it’s failing,” he said. “Emergency rooms are closing, doctors are leaving, and people are being left without care.”

Northern leaders, he said, have repeatedly reached out to the province with little response.

“Mayors from across the north have sent letters, asked for meetings, and tried to work with the government. They won’t even give them the time of day,” Leroy added.

Rick mentioned that if the province does not act, the community may have to push for federal intervention.

“We’ve never taken this to the federal health minister before, but maybe we need to,” he said. “This is an interjurisdictional challenge, and we need real solutions.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

‘No improvement’: Beauval mayor demands action over ongoing health-care disruptions

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