Six new Intensive Care Unit beds are now in operation at three different hospitals in Saskatchewan as the provincial government attempts to address overcapacity and high occupancy rates.

Three of the new I-C-U beds are at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon (pictured), one at Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital and the other two at Regina General Hospital. In addition, the province has plans to add five more I-C-U beds later in 2022, four at Pasqua Hospital in Regina and the other at the Yorkton Hospital. The total increase of 11 I-C-U beds in Saskatchewan will mean 108 full-time equivalent positions will be needed to support the new beds, such as registered nurses and other health care providers.