NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat and Mental Health Critic Danielle Chartier have been crossing the province this summer holding town hall meetings on the status of healthcare and mental health care in Saskatchewan.

The two made a stop at the University of Regina on Thursday to hear concerns that people have.

Mowat says one theme has come through no matter where they stop.

“Access to health services, so the fact that our emergency rooms are bursting at the seems, people want to believe that the care will be there when they get into an emergency situation, but then they’re in that emergency room and left waiting and don’t have access to the care they need,” Mowat said.

Another issue was addictions, and Danielle Chartier says wherever they go the topic of crystal meth comes up.

“Crystal meth is an issue in the larger urban centres as well as in rural Saskatchewan. It’s a cheap and available drug that wrecks absolute havoc with people’s lives,” Chartier said. “It’s a real issue.”

The NDP are using the meetings which will continue throughout the province in August to hear these concerns and then establish a platform for both health and mental health for the next provincial election which is over a year away.

(CKRM)