If elected, Saskatchewan’s NDP Leader says she will improve ambulance care and reform Saskatchewan’s Ambulance Act which was passed in 1989. Paramedics and firefighters visited the legislature Tuesday to advocate for change.

Carla Beck committed to working collaboratively with them to open up and overhaul the legislation. During Question Period, the Official Opposition revealed reports from EMS workers which shows that their wait times for transferring patients over to hospital care takes away from the time they could be responding to other incidents.

The Opposition revealed the reports of EMS workers obtained via freedom of information request. Some excerpts are as follows:

June 15: Busy day right from the start. OLD’s at RGH 3 hrs, Pasqua 2 hrs. OLD’s just cripple our ability to respond.

July 3: Both hospitals just absolutely over run at shift change. Very busy all night. Down two trucks basically lost a crew to each hospital. It’s killing the crews.  

Sep 30: Offloads all day at Pasqua. Open rooms for a lot of the time. Offload delay at general for over an hour with 10 rooms available. Then pt sent to waiting room. OLD bad longest 8+ hours at one point 6 of my 9 units were tied up at the General ER!! 6 of 9!! 2 more tied up at Pasqua, 8 out of 9 units tied up at the hospital, that dawg don’t hunt!!