Watrous ER disrupted by more than 20 service closures since January, NDP says

WATCH: A Saskatchewan woman is calling for change following a series of service closure at Watrous Hospital.

A Saskatchewan woman is calling for change following a series of service closures at the hospital in Watrous.

Angela Silzer runs a group home for people with intellectual disabilities in the community, located just across the street from the local hospital. However, with repeated emergency department closures, Silzer says her residents may need to travel to Saskatoon for an emergency.

“If we were to have to take one of our individuals to emergency in Saskatoon, I can’t imagine the distress, the impact it would have on that person,” said Silzer, executive director of Interlake Human Resources Corporation.

Silzer says a trip to an emergency room in Saskatoon would also put on strain on staff.

The NDP says there have been more than 20 service disruptions at the Watrous hospital since January, most of which have directly affected the emergency department.

“It’s important to have reliable health care close to home when you need it. In the Watrous area, that is no longer the case,” NDP MLA Keith Jorgenson told reporters Friday morning.

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The NDP said the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is not properly communicating service disruptions, saying it’s only notifying people with signs at the hospital entrance. It says people need to be publicly notified when their local emergency department is closed.

The NDP is also calling for staffing shortages at the Watrous hospital to be addressed.

The SHA says it’s working to improve emergency room services for residents in rural and remote communities through health-care human resource initiatives and a virtual physician program – which allows health-teams to work with doctors elsewhere.

“The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) recognizes the importance of having accessible emergency room (ER) services available in rural and remote communities and the impact that service disruptions have on residents,” a SHA spokesperson said in a statement to CTV News.

“We are committed to restoring health care services temporarily disrupted due to staffing challenges as soon as possible.”

The SHA also says it communicates short-term service disruptions through local social media platforms and ensures there is signage at the facilities.

“Short-term service disruptions often occur with little notice, and utilizing existing local communications platforms is an effective way to reach the community quickly,” the statement said.

It says service disruptions lasting seven days or more are posted on its website.

Meanwhile, Silzer says with two doctors leaving Watrous this year, her concerns are growing. She says there needs to be systemic change to improve access to health care.

“We as Canadians think of our health care system as something to be proud of, and I don’t think currently that that’s the case,” Silzer said.