Meili says Sask. Health Authority board member resigned over fatigue in health system

NDP Leader Ryan Meili called Dr. Janet Tootoosis a “great doctor and real leader in medicine” following her resignation from the Saskatchewan Health Authority board.

Meili said “she was one of the founding members of the Saskatchewan Health Authority.”

The North Battleford area physician resigned in November.

Two senior SHA staff, CEO Scott Livingstone and Chief Operating Officer Suann Laurent, have also recently stepped down from their positions.

Meili said in question period at the provincial Legislature Tuesday that Tootoosis resigned because of fatigue in the system.

“She spoke of people being tired. Good people doing so much. She said, and I quote, ‘I didn’t want a front seat to watch great incredible people being taken out by whatever,” Meili said.

Meili questioned what “external pressure” Premier Scott Moe’s government has brought to the SHA board.

Moe said Meili is causing division.

“Our province is pretty divided at the moment Mr. Speaker. There are great divisions in our communities. We see division among families. We see divisions between friends,” Moe said.

“It’s fair to say that burnout with respect to COVID is far and wide. It’s not exclusive to someone that might be serving on a health board,” Moe said.

Moe said work will need to be done to evaluate how the health system coped during COVID-19, with issues such as the backlog in services like surgeries.