Sask. NDP, nurses union claim some mothers, babies sent to North Dakota for treatment, province denies

WATCH: More questions surrounding Regina’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit popped up Tuesday. Wayne Mantyka explains.

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) and Opposition NDP claim that recent staffing and capacity pressures has led to some mothers and their newborns forced to seek treatment in North Dakota, a claim the provincial government has outright denied.

During an event Tuesday morning, NDP MLA Meara Conway laid into the province – repeating claims that the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Regina General Hospital (RGH) is experiencing chronic understaffing and due to this, has been forced to ship patients to North Dakota.

The NDP put forward a motion today Tuesday, calling for an emergency debate on the “crisis” and for the minister of health to provide daily updates on the status of the situation.

It did not pass, with the government unanimously voting against.

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“This is a Minister of Health who has not been transparent about what’s happening in the Regina NICU,” Conway told reporters.

“The only reason we know about this crisis is because a front line nurse came forward. We know about it through a leak.”

In a statement to CTV News, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) denied the claim that patients are being transferred to the United States – saying the last time a NICU patient was moved out of province was January of 2021 – adding that an out of country transfer has not occurred since 2008.

“No NICU babies or moms have been sent to North Dakota, out of province, nor out of country due to the recent demand for care,” the statement read. “While Regina NICU is experiencing a surge in demand over last few weeks with a number of premature births and multiple births, there continues to be NICU capacity in Saskatchewan.”

The SHA went on to say that its Regina NICU team coordinates with units in both Saskatoon and Prince Albert to ensure the newborns receive the appropriate level of care.

“Though capacity changes regularly with admissions and discharges, the SHA extends its deep appreciation to health-care teams and leaders who are working hard each day to manage this latest surge in demand for our youngest patients in Regina,” the statement read.

‘Sowing fear’

Speaking to reporters following question period, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill accused the Opposition NDP of spreading misinformation.

“To sow fear among expectant mothers, that they’re going to have to go to North Dakota because of capacity issues, is not true and I think it’s irresponsible,” he said.

Conway, who is expecting to give birth to her third child at RGH in the coming weeks, voiced her disagreement.

“I take great issue with that statement, that we are sowing fear with expectant mothers. I am an expectant mother,” she said.

“I know that frontline healthcare workers want the same thing. Why would they sow fear with expectant mothers? That’s not why you get into NICU nursing if you ask me. So again, stop with the finger pointing. Do your job.”

Public worries over the state of Regina’s NICU came to light Monday – after SUN published an anonymous account from a worker on the unit.

The complaint dated April 10, highlighted overcapacity and claimed the unit was out of ventilators – a claim the SHA also denied.

According to Cockrill, the RGH NICU has access to 16 ventilators – eight are dual purpose, while the remaining eight are ventilator specific. As of Tuesday morning, eight or nine of them were being used in the 25-bed unit.

“Nothing being done to send those moms out, a completely unsafe work environment for staff and patients. Unit was closed, still received two admissions,” the complaint read.

The nurses union says there have been 44 complaints from nurses working at the Regina NICU since the start of the year, and that staff are exhausted.