EMS in Regina, Saskatoon get $2M in funding from province

The Saskatchewan government is providing a funding boost to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Regina and Saskatoon.

In a media release Friday, the government said it was providing $2.13 million for additional paramedics in Regina and Saskatoon, and $780,000 for more staff in the emergency department at Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital (RUH).

“We value the incredible work that EMS professionals do to serve our residents and we are committed to providing Saskatchewan patients with timely access to emergency medical services,” Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding said in the release.

“This funding will increase capacity for current EMS resources and will lead to better patient outcomes.”

The $2.13 million will be used to put more staffed ambulances on the streets in Regina and Saskatoon over the next two months.

According to the government, Regina EMS responded to more than 26,700 calls in 2019-20, an increase of seven per cent since 2014-15. Saskatoon paramedics answered more than 31,900 calls, an 11 per cent increase from five years ago.

At RUH, the funding will be used to hire more staff to move patients quickly between EMS and emergency department staff. The hope is that it will allow rural and urban ambulance services to return to service quicker.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority expects the positions at RUH to be filled and the additional service to be operational within the next few months.