Shellbrook health centre temporarily closes acute care beds due to staff shortage
Provincial NDP leader and union leaders are condemning the temporary closure of 10 beds at the Parkland Integrated Health Centre in Shellbrook.
“Without any public notice the SaskParty closed half of the acute care beds and they’ve remained closed since May the 20th,” said Offical Opposition NDP leader Carla Beck.
Beck was joined by health care workers and community members in Shellbrook to share the news with the public.
Area resident, Calee Rabbitskin was at the hospital with her young daughter when Beck made the announcement.
“That means they are moving them to Prince Albert and Victoria hospital doesn’t really have space either or enough health care workers running their floors so that’s a big problem for people on the reserves and that’s where we’re from,” said Rabbitskin.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says the closure is due to challenges with recruitment and retention of health care staff.
SHA says on July 4, the number of beds open will increase to 15.
“The goal is to return to 20 acute care beds in the fall, subject to staffing availability,” SHA said in a statement to CTV News.
SHA said the bed reduction allows them to keep the emergency department open and “better manage workload."
CUPE says health care workers from the area also shared ongoing concerns about workload and retention of staff.
“To bring people into the province or to keep people here for that matter they need to be permanent fulltime positions. Temporary can end at any time. Even though it’s posted for a year it could end in six months with two weeks notice,” said Sharon Paul, CUPE General Vice President for the Region.
“I am afraid for my family members who live in the service area. Where will they go when these beds are filled? What will happen when they need lab tests, and samples have tobe sent to Saskatoon?” Paul said.
The NDP says there’s also currently a staffing shortage for labs, x-ray and diagnostic imaging which is leading to exhaustion and burnout.
SHA says it’s focused on recruitment efforts to fill vacancies in Shellbrook and many other rural communities continue.
Shellbrook is about one hour and 20 minutes north of Saskatoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.