Those concerns were raised after the provincial government signed a $6 million contract that would allow people awaiting knee or hip surgery to go to Calgary for surgery.
The agreement, released on Wednesday, stipulates that the province will pay the private healthcare provider Canadian Surgical Solutions operated until March 2024.
According to Health Secretary Paul Merriman, the contract aims to provide faster care for people awaiting surgery.
The President of CUPE However, from Local 5430, Bashir Jalloh, is not convinced that this measure will reduce the long-term waiting time.
We see that the government is aiming for nothing but privatization
he says.
Bashir Jalloh believes the move could also encourage public health workers to switch jobs to a private clinic, which would worsen the staffing situation.
Paul Merriman announced this last August Canadian Surgical Solutions could perform 20 knee or hip surgeries a month for patients in Saskatchewan who are still on the waiting list.
However, the latest budget showed that the province plans to perform 6,000 additional surgeries this year, some in private clinics.
” This is not a political decision but a clinical decision. »
Patients wishing to travel to Calgary must pay for the trip, raising eyebrows among public health advocates.
The organization’s executive director Friends of MedicareChris Gallaway, believes that being forced to pay travel expenses creates a two-tier system in which those who can afford to travel essentially have an opportunity to get ahead of others.
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