SASKATOON – Opposition New Democrats were raising alarm bells Friday over a situation earlier this week involving temporary service disruptions in Davidson and Outlook.
At a media event in Saskatoon, Keith Jorgenson, NDP associate critic for rural and remote health, raised concerns about the situation that erupted on Monday and Tuesday, when ERs in Davidson and Outlook were closed simultaneously for two days each.
In particular the NDP called out Saskatchewan Health Authority for a communications screwup in which patients in Outlook were redirected to Davidson for ER services— only for the ER to be closed there as well.
According to a notice posted by SHA on social media Monday, the temporary service disruption at Outlook Health Centre was scheduled from 8 a.m. Sept. 1 to 8 a.m. Sept. 3. In that notice, emergency services were listed as available at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and the Davidson Health Center.
Unfortunately, the Davidson facility also had posted a temporary service disruption running from 8 a.m. Sept. 1 to 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 2. According to an SHA notice posted on social media, Davidson patients were advised to go to Royal University Hospital or St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, or to the Dr. Wigmore Regional Hospital in Moose Jaw.
“I'm amazed someone didn’t die,” said Jorgenson in a statement.
“And this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve heard reports of this happening in many different communities — now, we have photographic evidence to prove it.”
The NDP news release went on to lambaste the Moe government over ongoing temporary service disruptions in rural areas. The NDP compared closures during the first 18 months of Moe as premier to the last 18 months: they noted that from Feb. 2018 to July 2019 there were 86 closures or 808 days of lost health-care service. From Nov. 2023 to May 2025 it was 643 closures for 3,362 days of lost service.
“Health care in our province is getting worse by the day,” said Jorgenson. He accused the “Sask. Party and their friends in the health authority” of “slowly closing these rural hospitals — and residents are rightly worried about the future of their communities under this government.”
SaskToday has reached out to the province for a response and in a statement they had this to say:
"Our government recognizes the importance of having accessible Healthcare services available in rural and remote communities. We will continue to work with our health partners in all communities across the province, and we will continue to embrace innovation in rural and remote health care delivery.
"The Saskatchewan Health Authority has implemented several strategies to stabilize and enhance capacity in rural and remote communities, including the Virtual Physician Program, Point-of-Care Testing, and various health-care human resource initiatives. We continue to receive positive feedback from rural physicians, local leadership and community members about these initiatives that we will continue to build on in the best interest of rural and remote Saskatchewan. In any life-and-death emergency situation, 911 should always be called, so paramedics can assess, treat and transport the patient to the nearest location where the patient can receive further medical attention.
"The lost and reckless NDP are once again drumming up hysteria while offering no solutions, no plans, and committing to destroying the very industries that fund our public services. They have made it clear that they do not support any innovation in health care, such as the Virtual Physician Program. They would rather shut this program down than utilize modern technology to avoid temporary service disruptions. This would result in nearly 3,000 additional rural service disruptions. The NDP have no plan and no ideas."
