REGINA - The opposition New Democrats are raising concerns that fire code violations might now be happening at more hospitals in the province, this time in Regina.
At a media availability at the Legislature, Health Critic Vicki Mowat pointed to a newly released memo from the Saskatchewan Health Authority on concerns about the Regina situation.
According to the memo from Glen Perchie of SHA to EMS - Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region sent earlier this week, he said the SHA had received a “shot across the bow” from the Regina Fire Inspector stating that placing patients or equipment in corridors is a contravention of the National Fire Code.
The correspondence from the fire inspector stated that it had come to their attention that “the practice of using corridors as staging areas or for temporary placement of patients in beds is an ongoing issue at the Pasqua Hospital and Regina General Hospital Emergency Rooms and connecting corridors.”
“Again, I’ll be clear. There shall be absolutely no placement of patients/beds within an egress corridor at any time.”
“Health care workers leaked these emails to us out of frustration because things have never been so bad in their years of service“ said Mowat.
“Our question today is whether Scott Moe and his minister will listen to the front lines, listen to their own officials and admit their own health plan isn’t working, commit to change, commit to systemic action. We can’t keep pretending that the challenges facing our health care system are inevitable and out of our control. We have to have hope that things can get better.”
This memo follows on the heels of the issues at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon which saw recent fire code violations due to overcapacity issues and crowded hallways. The SHA has since announced an action plan to address the capacity issues in Saskatoon.
As for her reaction to the latest SHA leaked memo, Mowat said she was “incredibly disappointed” for health care workers and patients unable to access care.
“We’ve been talking for some time about hallway medicine and how it is completely unacceptable that we are treating people in beds in hallways, in waiting rooms, because there simply isn’t space in the emergency room and the rest of the hospital.”
As for what is next, Mowat said it “starts with talking with health care workers, collaborating with them, in many cases the people on the front lines have the solutions. They have ideas. They need resources in place to make these changes to be able to provide the care that is available.”
