Healthcare staffing crisis in Canada province endangers patient safety
SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA — A Saskatchewan radiology technologist with 17 years of experience has quit her job, citing dangerous understaffing that jeopardizes both workers and patients.
The province’s NDP has released a letter from 15 Regina General Hospital staff warning that delays in life-saving interventions are occurring due to systemic failures in the healthcare system.
Chronic understaffing leads to dangerous patient outcomes
Gerri Grant, a former interventional radiology technologist, left her job in 2024 after witnessing how severe staffing shortages delayed critical care.
A leaked letter signed by Grant and 14 other healthcare workers reveals that lack of physician coverage “has already resulted in cases where patients did not receive life-saving interventions in time.”
While Grant couldn’t discuss specifics, she confirmed that delays in emergency procedures inevitably lead to worse outcomes.
A CUPE survey of technologists found 88% reported significantly increased workloads due to staff shortages, with over 90% saying patient safety has been compromised.
The Saskatchewan government claims it has signed contracts with private radiology groups to stabilize services, but no timeline has been provided for when improvements will be seen.
Healthcare workers flee Saskatchewan amid poor Conditions
The province’s Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan, designed to recruit and retain workers, has failed to prevent an exodus of skilled professionals.
Dionne Wagner, a CUPE representative, says exhausted employees are leaving for other provinces after enduring 36-hour shifts and unsustainable workloads.
“We just can’t seem to keep them in Saskatchewan,” Wagner admitted. “People are completely burnt out,” she added.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill acknowledged the issues but offered no concrete solutions beyond private contracts. CUPE President Bashir Jalloh demands immediate action on nine key recommendations, including better recruitment and retention strategies.
Without urgent intervention, the crisis may deepen, putting more lives at risk and further straining an already collapsing system.
