Saskatchewan Government Pledges Daily Updates on Hospital Closures

The Saskatchewan government has announced a commitment to provide daily updates on temporary closures of health facilities and services across the province. This decision comes amid rising frustrations from residents regarding the lack of timely notifications about service disruptions.

Government Response to Growing Concerns

During a recent session in the legislative assembly, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill confirmed that the Saskatchewan Health Authority will post a list of affected services on its website every day at 16:00 local time. This change aims to improve communication and transparency regarding health service availability.

“There was frustration around the notification process for disruptions,” Cockrill stated in response to inquiries from the Opposition NDP. The announcement follows an alarming trend of health service closures that have increasingly impacted Saskatchewan residents, often with little notice.

According to data obtained by NDP health critic Jared Clarke through freedom of information requests, there were 643 service disruptions recorded between November 2023 and May 2025. This figure represents a significant increase from just 86 disruptions in the 2018-2019 period. These disruptions include closures of emergency rooms, cancelled laboratory work, and postponed surgeries.

Impact on Rural Communities

Clarke emphasized that many of these closures have targeted rural emergency rooms, leaving patients in distressing situations. He recounted stories of individuals arriving at a facility only to be met with a closed sign, forcing them to seek care elsewhere.

Nurse Cindy Landrie from the Battlefords Union Hospital shared her concerns during a news briefing, highlighting ongoing staffing shortages that have caused intermittent closures of critical services, including the CT scanner. “That’s unacceptable,” Landrie said. “We should be able to look after all in the community and surrounding area.”

Landrie, who has worked as a nurse for 26 years, called for greater recognition and support for healthcare workers to enhance retention and recruitment efforts within the sector.

In response to the government’s new information policy, Clarke pushed for more immediate measures. He proposed a private member’s bill that would mandate the health authority to announce any emergency room closures within one hour. “This information could save people’s lives,” he asserted, criticizing the government’s plan as insufficient for the needs of rural Saskatchewan residents.

Although private member’s bills seldom pass in the legislature, Clarke remains hopeful for change. He noted that the government’s current plan, with its daily updates, does not adequately address the urgency of the situation.

Future Initiatives to Improve Healthcare

Cockrill responded to the concerns, indicating that the province is considering adjustments to the timing of these notifications. He emphasized that the primary focus should be on reducing service disruptions. “The biggest goal is reducing the number of disruptions, right?” he remarked. “That’s what I want the Saskatchewan Health Authority spending the bulk of their time on.”

The government is also exploring strategies to enhance workforce capacity in the healthcare sector. This includes efforts to hire more staff and offering one-time payments to attract workers to rural areas. Additionally, the province has increased the number of training seats in post-secondary institutions to facilitate a higher number of healthcare graduates entering the workforce.

“I think we’re making progress. There are still challenges, no doubt about it,” Cockrill noted, comparing Saskatchewan’s situation with that of other provinces. This report was first published on October 30, 2025, by The Canadian Press.