Emergency room closures, HealthLine 811 disruption has NDP demanding better care [Video]

Saskatchewan’s only health line went down over the weekend, while one of Saskatoon’s hospitals reduced its emergency room hours.

According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), On Saturday from 4:55 p.m. to 5:35 p.m., HealthLine 811 was down.

It meant anyone seeking medical attention either needed to call 911, or visit a walk-in clinic or the emergency room.

However, an update on the SHA’s social media pages said at 6:30 p.m. the services were back up.

https://x.com/SaskHealth/status/1893459070826291244

The NDP is voicing their concerns on the malfunction, saying the “failure with no backup plan is unacceptable.”

“It’s concerning all around when people don’t have access to these emergency services when and where they need them,” Saskatchewan health critic Vicki Mowat said.

While it may not be a long stretch of time, Mowat said this points to a larger issue in the Saskatchewan health-care system. She referenced low staff levels, health care burnout …