Some skeptical over plan to cut down surgical backlog

On Thursday, the provincial government announced a new plan to get through the surgical wait list that grew large because of the grip COVID’s fourth wave had on the province.

The plan includes an increase of thousands of extra surgeries being done in each of the next three years, expanding capacity in ICUs with more beds, using private surgery providers, and bringing in more workers from schools and internationally.

However, some are skeptical that the ambitious plan will actually get off the ground.

Sarah Turnbull was at the legislative building with her 2 1/2-year-old daughter Blake on Thursday, invited by the NDP for the last day of the fall sitting.

Therapies and surgery to treat Blake’s spina bifida had been put on hold during the fourth wave.

Turnbull said the first thing she thought when she heard the surgeries plan was whether they had the doctors and specialists to get those surgeries done.

Blake Turnbull, whose surgery and procedures were pushed back because of the fourth wave of COVID-19. Dec. 9 2021 (980 CJME)

“You could tell me that you could do many more brain surgeries, but do you have more than two brain surgeons?” Turnbull said.

She pointed to a four-year wait list her daughter is on just to see a specialist to interpret some ultrasound results. Turnbull said that’s happening because there are only two of those specialists in the province.

However, Turnbull did say she supports the plan if the government can actually make it happen.

“There are so many people waiting for surgeries, not just us, and that’s a huge move if it’s true and it happens. But as long as they’re doing the right steps to make that happen, that’s wonderful,” she continued.

As health-care services have resumed, Blake has been able to see many of her specialists again and has a foot surgery booked for the new year.

The Turnbulls’ situation is a stark contrast to Eden Janzen’s. She is in need of a kidney and actually needs a different surgery before she can be put on the transplant list.

Janzen said she hasn’t heard anything since services started resuming.

“Nothing’s moved for me, other than getting worse,” Janzen said.

Janzen believes she’s going to have to wait longer, given that she has to start back at square one.

“I feel like I’m going to be waiting a while. Some people have gotten their surgeries and that’s really great I’m so happy for that, but I don’t think I’ll get mine right away,” Janzen said.

Eden Janzen, whose hope for a better life was put on hold when the organ donation program was paused in Saskatchewan because of the fourth wave of COVID-19. Dec. 9, 2021 (980 CJME)

“Getting those surgeries back fast, that’s great, but they shouldn’t have ever been stopped. We shouldn’t have to be reinstating the organ donation program: it should have never been suspended.”

Janzen was also at the legislative building at the invitation of the NDP. She said she appreciates that the party was advocating for her, but she wasn’t happy with the response she heard from government when she was brought up in Question Period.

“I just want them to admit that they did not do what was best for us. They just did not make the best choice for the people who are actually doing everything they can to be healthy and (who) got their vaccines and stuff,” Janzen said.

NDP Leader Ryan Meili said building back surgeries is certainly work that needs to happen and a clear plan is needed, but he had some concerns about the plan announced by government.

Meili pointed to the more than 1,400 unfilled health-care positions posted in Saskatchewan when asked if he thinks the government could pull the plan off.

“If they don’t have a plan to hire up and staff up in health care — something they’ve been failing to do for years — no, they can’t reach these goals,” Meili said.

The NDP has been hearing that rural health care is a mess and those on the front lines are under a lot of pressure. Meili said recruitment and retention plans are needed and the public health workforce needs to be built up.

One of the facets of the province’s plan is to shuttle some surgeries through private clinics. Meili acknowledged that’s something that has been done before, but said it’s something to keep a close eye on because he doesn’t want to get into a situation where patients are paying for their procedures, like MRIs.

“We have to watch it, especially with this government that likes to give those contracts to their friends and donors (and) likes to continually push the envelope on privatization,” Meili said.

Meili found it unusual that the announcement came in a briefing of the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre.

“That seems like a strange place to be talking about long-term correction of the problems that Mr. Moe’s failures on the fourth wave have created in our health-care system,” Meili continued.

Meili also talked about the fact that four cases of the Omicron variant were confirmed in the province this week.

“We should be talking about our plan to make sure we don’t see further reduction in services (and) we don’t see further service disruptions as the result of a fifth wave,” he said.

The NDP leader said he still hasn’t heard any serious plans to protect the capacity the health-care system has gained back.