The province is celebrating thousands of health-care hires, but the health minister couldn’t say how many workers have left the system— making it unclear how much the workforce has grown. On Tuesday, the government said over 7,500 doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals have joined the health care system in Saskatchewan since 2022. However, when asked how many employees left during that same four-year period, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said he didn’t “have that number.” When pressed on whether the province tracks departures, Cockrill said “we typically focus on the recruitment numbers.” “Our government is proud to welcome these highly skilled physicians, nurses and allied health professionals from across Canada and the world to our great province,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in a Tuesday news release. Cockrill added the province also monitors licensure numbers and claimed Saskatchewan has the highest number of nurses per capita in Canada. ‘Decided to raise a family here’ The government credits the work of the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency (SHRA), Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency for bolstering its recruitment numbers. It’s been done as part of the Saskatchewan Health Human Resources (HRR) Action Plan. According to the province, international physician recruitment efforts are targeting the U.S., Ireland and the U.K. Physicians account for 742 (roughly 10 per cent) of reported hires. One of them is Dr. Brian Stout, who spoke at the province’s announcement Tuesday. After living in Florida for about 10 years, the pediatrician saw an online advertisement recruiting physicians to Saskatchewan. “We decided this is a good place to raise a family, and here we are,” Stout said. International recruitment campaigns in 2025-26 resulted in seven physicians practicing in Saskatchewan, or still moving through the recruitment, licensing and immigration process. Additionally, the province says more than 1,000 new medical, specialist, nursing and allied health training seats have ben added since 2022, as well as a new Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program. Three more new health profession programs are also expected to be created in the province. Opposition calls for deal for workers While the province touts success, the Opposition NDP painted a far less rosy picture of the province’s health care system. The Sask. NDP delivered a letter to Minister Cockrill Tuesday, calling for him to use his authority to end the years-long labour dispute between the province and several labour unions. Workers represented by CUPE 5430, SEIU-West and SGEU have been without a contract for years and without a general wage increase since 2022. The letter asks Cockrill to pause all executive, senior management and out-of-scope compensation increases, bonuses, reclassifications and other compensation adjustments until a new deal is reached with the workers. They also called for the establishment of a fair mandate for negotiations and to set a deadline of September 2026 to end bargaining. “Healthcare workers have waited long enough — four years on the frontlines of our overrun hospitals and clinics with no contract and no raise,” NDP Leader Carla Beck said in a news release. “All the while, we’ve seen raises for senior health authority executives — many of them close friends of Scott Moe. I bet freezing their pay will get things moving at the bargaining table. “We need this action now. Healthcare workers are being forced to consider a strike which will only make the chaos in our hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities even worse.” In a statement to CTV News, Health Minister Cockrill said negotiations towards a new collective bargaining agreement remain ongoing. “Our government knows the best deals are reached at the bargaining table and we continue to ask that employers and unions sit down and work together to find an agreement that works for health care workers, employers, patients, and communities,” the statement read. He went on to say the government continues to “focus on finding administrative efficiencies” to reinvest in front-line health care workers. “In June 2025, the Saskatchewan Health Authority eliminated 26 senior out-of-scope leadership positions and redirected $10.4 million in savings right back into additional frontline care staff and on-site local clinical managers to enhance the delivery of patient focused care,” the statement read. Cockrill also reiterated the HHR Action Plan continues to make progress.
