Pressure on hospitals ‘levelling off,’ SHA executive says

The province is starting to see a plateau of respiratory illnesses now that the holidays have passed, and some demand on hospitals seems to be levelling off.

That’s according to Derek Miller, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s chief operating officer.

Miller said some hospitals in Saskatchewan have seen high levels of demand throughout the winter, as have facilities in other parts of the country. This has been particularly apparent in children’s hospitals and other acute care facilities, he added.

“We took certain steps in order to prepare contingency plans and to consider how can we best meet that type of demand,” Miller said.

While demand was high through the holidays in December and into January, particularly in emergency departments, Miller said the situation seems to be improving.

“We seem to be in a spot where things have levelled off,” he said.

Following a severe overcapacity issue at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Miller said numbers vary on a day-to-day basis and capacity has been reached on some days over the past week.

He said the SHA is working to coordinate with other facilities in Regina and Prince Albert to make sure kids are able to receive care as close to home as possible, and to ensure capacity is available in other areas around the province.

While pediatric pressures have been significant, Miller said the teams employed in these areas of health care have been working hard to meet the needs of patients and families.

As flu-like illnesses spike during the colder months, Miller said a decrease in illnesses like RSV and influenza likely won’t come for another month or so, but presently things have been stabilizing.

When it comes to COVID-10, Miller said Saskatchewan is “seeing hints of a decline or at least a plateau,” with no indication that the new variant, XBB.1.5, is worsening demand on hospitals at the moment.

Miller said the SHA is working closely with the Ministry of Health to address staffing challenges — with success seen in recent recruitment efforts at some rural facilities.

More people are still needed in “key areas,” Miller said, but applications from the Philippines are coming in and being selected while nursing students are being supported through their education.

Dr. Carla Holinaty, vice president of the Saskatoon Medical Association, said there is a significant shortage of physicians in all specialties.

As a family doctor, she said she feels the shortage of family physicians acutely.

“I know that we have done our best to engage with (the) government on multiple different levels and make sure that they’re aware of the challenges that we’re facing,” she said, adding that her association is also working hard to propose solutions that work for the government, physicians and patients in the province.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Mia Holowaychuk