Healthcare shouldn’t be a political issue. Caring for the health of the people of our province benefits all of us and our economy. When a citizen's minor complaints aren’t addressed, they worsen until surgery and other high-cost care are needed. Of course, we also lose work hours, and this hurts the local economy; our loved ones lose work hours and productivity while visiting and caring for us.

A province that doesn’t come up with a practical plan to ensure that everyone has a family doctor has failed in one of the two main areas –  Health and Education – that are totally under provincial control. Saskatchewan, embarrassingly, shows recent estimates indicating that about one in six, or 16% to 17%, of Saskatchewan residents do not have a family physician. This number is based on data from Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. The national average for Canadians lacking a regular healthcare provider is 14.5%.

In recent reports, the  Saskatchewan Medical Association says that the shortage of family doctors is a significant concern, contributing to longer wait times for services and a higher rate of people seeking care in emergency rooms and walk-in clinics. To make this very clear, 16% to 17% equals 200,000 people. That’s a lot of people whose medical needs are going unattended.

The Saskatchewan Greens 2024 election platform – read more here: https://www.saskgreen.ca/2024_sgp_election_platform, – emphasizes healthy communities, lifestyles and environment. The Saskatchewan Green Party see rebuilding and properly funding our healthcare system as one of the top issues affecting everyone in our province right now. We need to prioritize building a system that supports people BEFORE they are seriously ill. We need sustainable healthcare planning now.

Healthcare is currently a political issue because it has been neglected so badly that it is falling apart at the seams. Our health is truly the most valuable asset any of us has, and if we cannot trust the government to ensure continuing good healthcare, then our bond of trust with them is broken. 

Saskatchewan is where Canada’s universal healthcare system originated. We can do better than this. We can push for better than this. Contact your MLA today, and let’s all push for better solutions for our health. 

Yours in solidarity,
Naomi Hunter
Saskatchewan Green Party Leader