Saskatchewan to provide more regular updates of ER closures
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
REGINA – Saskatchewan’s government says residents are to get status updates sooner about whether hospital emergency rooms are closed.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill told reporters Thursday that starting May 19, emergency service disruptions are to be posted online with daily updates at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Previously, updates were only provided daily at 4 p.m.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever achieve real-time (status updates), but the goal is to provide the most up-to-date information that we have available and feel comfortable providing patients,” Cockrill said.
Over the last six years, Saskatchewan has dealt with temporary ER closures in rural communities struggling to hire and retain staff.
Residents have also complained of going to hospitals only to find a notice on the door saying it’s closed.
As of Thursday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s website says emergency services in Wilkie, northwest of Saskatoon, are disrupted until further notice.
It says the ER in the town of Wolseley is closed after-hours, on weekends and on holidays. The ER in the town of Kamsack also has limited availability.
Jared Clarke, the Opposition NDP’s rural health critic, told reporters the change isn’t good enough and that the province should be providing real-time updates.
He cited a health authority document that says managers can access, at any time, a full list of service disruptions in the province.
“Why can’t they not just give that (information) to people of this province?” he said. “In an emergency, people need to know whether or not their emergency room is open or closed.”
Cockrill said providing immediate updates isn’t currently possible.
“We want to provide flexibility to our operational teams to be working hard right up to when that disruption may occur,” he said. “At the end of the day, we don’t want to have service disruptions in the province.”
He added residents can check an ER’s status on the health authority’s website or by calling 811.
Clarke introduced a private member’s bill to mandate the authority put publicly online any hospital closure within one hour. On Thursday, the legislature with its Saskatchewan Party government majority voted down the bill.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026.