Government announces 77 new health-care positions to rural, remote Sask.

Rural and remote health-care services will be getting a much-needed boost following an announcement by government on Wednesday.

The government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) announced it’ll be adding 77 new and enhanced permanent full-time positions to 30 rural and remote communities.

Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill emphasized the importance of these positions being full-time.

“It’s hard to move to a new community for a temporary position or a part-time position,” he said when speaking to media in Moose Jaw on Wednesday.

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However, Cockrill couldn’t provide further details on when or how the 77 positions will be filled.

“What people can count on in rural communities is that this government is going to try many different ideas to make sure that they can have stable service in their communities,” he said.

According to the statement, the new positions will focus on communities that are experiencing disruptions or have faced ongoing staffing challenges.

“These health care positions will improve emergency and acute care services, reduce service disruptions and continue building a more stable health workforce across Saskatchewan,” the statement read.

The positions will be funded by the SHA, totalling $6.2 million.

The funds come from the SHA’s recent administrative restructuring announcement, where it cut 26 leadership positions back in June.

The positions include a range of roles like registered nurses, combined lab and X-ray technicians, medical radiation technologists and phlebotomists.

Many of the new positions are eligible to apply for the Saskatchewan rural and remote recruitment incentive.

It provides up to $50,000 over three years with a return in service agreement.

Positions will be introduced in the communities of Arcola, Assiniboia, Broadview, Canora, Estevan, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Kamsack, Kerrobert, Kindersley, Kipling, La Ronge, Leader, Lloydminster, Maple Creek, Melville, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Nipawin, North Battleford, Outlook, Porcupine Plain, Prince Albert, Redvers, Rosetown, Shaunavon, Shellbrook, Unity, Wadena and Weyburn.

According to the government, the additional 77 positions builds on the success of previous rural and remote staffing stabilization efforts that have added 315 new positions since 2022.

NDP responds

Keith Jorgensen, associate health critic for the NDP, said the government should focus on filling existing positions, rather than creating new ones.

“According to publicly available data, this morning, we had 1,647 vacant health care positions in Saskatchewan. And so my question would be, if they’ve been unable to fill those 1,647 vacant positions, what leaves them to believe… that they’re going to have success in filling these new 77 positions,” he said.

Jorgensen said part of the issue is that the government isn’t listening to the concerns of healthcare workers, or even engaging with them.

“We need to focus on why people are leaving, why people are dissatisfied with their jobs and if the government doesn’t go out and talk to these people, they’re never going to solve those problems,” he said.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Marija Robinson