Regina’s Breast Health Centre will start accepting patients April 23

Regina’s new Breast Health Centre is set to hold its grand opening on April 14, and will accept patients starting on April 23.

“This is really good news for the for women in Regina and southern Saskatchewan,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill told reporters on Tuesday.

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Cockrill said the centre will be staffed by 13 full-time employees. He said equipment and IT systems are currently being set up and, staffing is mostly complete.

“As this project has progressed, there’s been a few changes along the way. Some more space became available at Regina Crossing, and so we were able to actually make plans to move the lymphedema clinic over from the Pasqua to Regina Crossing,” he said.

“We know there’s been challenges around wait times for women in terms of being able to progress through that process – getting the right diagnostics, getting a biopsy, understanding if surgery is required. This is going to be huge for women in southern Saskatchewan.”

When the centre was first announced over a year ago, it was originally expected to open by the end of the fiscal year, which is coming up on March 31.

To deal with the incredibly long waiting lists, the province began a program in 2023 that allows patients to receive out-of-province breast cancer diagnostic services at a clinic in in Calgary.

“It’s completely unacceptable that women have to fly to Calgary for basic access to health care in this province,” NDP health critic Vicki Mowat said.

“That’s not providing health care when and where people need it. The promise was for the centre to be open by the end of the fiscal year… We need to make sure that we’re able to appropriately staff the facility, and that remains to be seen.”

Cockrill wasn’t able to share the centre’s operating hours, but said the facility is expected to serve 1,600 patients a year.

He also defended the out-of-province care program, saying it took pressure off of the local system and cut down on wait times.

“If we’re serious about improving access to care, we shouldn’t be ideological about it,” he said.

The NDP’s Brittney Senger said the province didn’t deserve a pat on the back for opening the clinic, given the delay.

“We are a month late opening up the Breast Care Health Center and, frankly, this government does not deserve any sort of a recognition or appreciation for the delay in this,” she said.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the centre’s opening date.