Saskatchewan to send three more ICU patients to Ontario

Saskatchewan is set to transfer three more intensive care patients to Ontario.

In a media release Thursday, the Saskatchewan government said it would be sending one ICU patient on each of the next three days to Ontario.

That increases the total so far to nine. As of Wednesday, six patients had been sent east.

“Out-of-province transfers are contingent on several factors, such as ICU capacity, clinical assessment and identification of appropriate patients, severe weather, or other unforeseen events,” the government said in its release. “Final numbers may be subject to change.”

As of Thursday, there were 76 COVID patients in Saskatchewan’s ICUs. The provincial government announced Monday it was going to be sending patients to Ontario in hopes of alleviating the pressure on the health-care system in this province.

There had been some confusion about the number of transfers, with an Ontario doctor suggesting the Saskatchewan government had planned to send 12 patients to his province before cancelling some transfers.

Doctors in Saskatchewan also tweeted the province had decided against sending some patients east after initially planning to do so.

On Wednesday, Marlo Pritchard — the president of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency — told reporters he didn’t know where the number of 12 transfers had come from, but further assessment was to be done.

In a statement earlier Thursday, the provincial government said the issue of out-of-province transfers “is an extremely complicated process which requires a high level of technical consideration, medical oversight and review.”

As well, the government said all “confirmed” patient transfers would be announced through official channels.

“All other sources, such as unofficial and unverified social media posts, should be disregarded,” the government said.

Three hours later, the province issued the release about the latest three transfers.