Access to emergency services will be improved in Saskatchewan through a $2.9 million investment to boost Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The Government of Saskatchewan is providing $2.13 million for additional paramedic staffing in Saskatoon and Regina, and $780,000 for additional staffing at the Royal University Hospital (RUH) Emergency Department in Saskatoon.
Over the past five years, EMS in Regina and Saskatoon have experienced an increase in call volumes. In 2019-20, Regina EMS answered more than 26,700 calls and Saskatoon EMS answered more than 31,900 calls, a 7.0 per cent and 11 per cent increase respectively since 2014-15.
The $2.13 million in new funding will be used to provide additional staffed ambulances in Saskatoon and Regina over the next two months to improve emergency response times in these cities and the surrounding areas.
The additional $780,000 will be used to increase staffing at the RUH Emergency Department to provide a quicker transition of care between EMS and Emergency Department staff. This will allow both rural and urban ambulance services to return to service sooner. This new investment will help to improve offload delays in the near-term while the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) continues to review and work toward system-wide improvements to patient flow. The SHA anticipates these positions to be filled and the additional service operational within the next few months.