The Official Opposition is raising the case of Richard Baron, an oncology patient waiting for urgent surgical care. The NDP is demanding the Sask. Party government immediately address Saskatchewan’s overflowing ICUs.

Richard Baron has been diagnosed with brain cancer which has spread to his lungs. The NDP says Richard first needs surgery before he can start oncological treatments. However, his family was informed Thursday that his urgent surgery was no longer possible, as Regina’s Intensive Care Units are too full. The family has been left hanging with no firm timelines for surgery.

Ashleigh Woytuik, Richard’s daughter, wonders why this is happening.
She wants to know why there have not been measures put in place to increase staff and ICU bed capacity in the province to deal with the waves of COVID that we have been told all along would without a doubt come?

She says her family is the fallout from a lack of planning and inaction.

Vicki Mowat, Official Opposition Critic for Health is calling on the Minister to create a surge plan for life-threatening and chronic patients facing disruptions and cancellations in their urgent, non-COVID care.

In Question period Friday Health Minister Paul Merriman said the government is doing everything it can to make sure people get the care they need. “We are working with our health care providers to make sure we are performing the maximum amount of surgeries and the maximum amount of normal programs that we have within our health care system while we are battling COVID.”