In January, the Saskatchewan government launched a “Patient First Review” to examine patient experiences with our health care system as well as current administrative processes. The final report titled “For Patients’ Sake” was released on October 15th. It confirms what most people already know; that our health care system is failing both patients and providers. The Saskatchewan government views the report as a catalyst for change.
During the writing of this report 27,598 patients waited for surgery, the Saskatoon Health Region created “hallway nursing” procedures to provide guidance to nurses for treating patients in the hallways of our hospitals and the provincial kidney transplant program was put on hold after a member of the surgical team became ill. These are common provincial symptoms indicative of the larger Canadian health system problems.
In the Speech from the Throne opening the fall session of the Saskatchewan legislature on October 21st we heard the government say that they will reduce waiting lists and recruit more health care providers. If the words describing the promise for better health care sound familiar it’s because they are the same words used a decade ago by another government making similar promises.
The good news is that the desire for change in Saskatchewan, though bound and gagged by red tape, is alive and well. If the premise is a “Patient First” health care system then it is only fitting that patients take the first step towards driving change.
Start by answering this question:
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