Memo shows government muzzling health-care workers: NDP

The opposition NDP claims the Saskatchewan Party is trying to muzzle health-care workers from speaking out after getting ahold of a Saskatchewan Health Authority memo.

The memo was sent to SHA staff in Lanigan on the morning of Feb. 7, when NDP officials were in the town to talk to health-care workers on their tour around the province.

The memo was from a health services manager and was to all staff. It said:

“Please be advised that we are not to coordinate tours or answer questions about our facility to any political parties. If any MLAs or members of political parties request any information from Lanigan Integrated Hopsital (sic) please direct them to the process implemented to contact (redacted). This goes through Central Coordination. They have been advised of this process.”

Vicki Mowat, the NDP’s health critic, and Meara Conway, the NDP’s ethics critic, called it a clear attempt to silence health-care workers.

“It’s shocking that this type of behaviour is happening and it must stop immediately,” said Mowat.

The health critic said there is a pattern of behaviour on display here and there is reason to believe this was politically motivated because the government and SHA knew the NDP was in Lanigan that day.

“It’s too coincidental to assume that there isn’t political involvement here, especially when we’ve seen the level of political involvement that has taken place by the minister and the amount of centralized control that has existed through the minister’s office throughout his reign,” said Mowat.

Conway said the idea that they can’t ask workers about their day-to-day experiences in the publicly funded health-care system is offensive.

“In doing this, the government isn’t silencing the opposition party, who have a job and a role to play, they are silencing the people of Saskatchewan, the people who rely on the health-care system (and) the people who work in the health-care system,” said Conway.

The NDP didn’t visit an SHA facility that day in Lanigan, but Mowat said when they do and it’s co-ordinated through the health authority, someone from the Sask. Party government shows up to join them. That has happened on all four tours since Jan. 20.

Mowat and Conway said the government staffers take notes about what’s being said and asked. The NDP believes it’s an attempt to discourage workers on the tours from speaking out.

“We are being assigned ministry and Sask. Party backbench babysitters to follow us around and listen to what we’re saying. If they want to come on tour with us, great, but extend the offer in the other direction as well: Every time they’re going to a facility, invite us to come out as well,” said Mowat.

Health Minister Paul Merriman countered after Question Period on Tuesday, saying there’s no big conspiracy.

Merriman said the memo was part of a newsletter that had been sent out to all health authority staff the day before – that part had been taken out and rewritten and sent to Lanigan staff in a memo.

However, Merriman said the part about not answering questions was not in the original newsletter. He called that a misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

The newsletter, provided by the minister’s office read, in part:

“We would ask that, should a political party office and/or Member of the Legislature reach out to a facility or individual directly for this type of tour, please direct them to (redacted) at (redacted)@saskhealthauthority.ca for coordination prior to setting a date and time with the official that has requested the tour. This will help us identify if there are synergies with other tour requests for the facility or in the area to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure all parties are aware of standardized expectations for tours of SHA facilities.”

When asked why that specific part seemed to be reinforced with staff in Lanigan in a memo, Merriman said it could be that there had been increased requests for tours.

Mowat found that explanation suspicious, given the timing coincided exactly with the NDP stop in Lanigan.

“(The memo) is very consistent with what we hear every time we talk to health-care workers, that they’re being encouraged to not speak to anyone about this,” said Mowat.

Merriman said co-ordinating through the health authority for tours is a normal procedure.

“We have to remember that these are operating facilities with people in there that are sick, with family members that could be grieving or could be going through a very traumatic time. We want to make sure that it’s in a respectful time for the health-care workers,” explained the minister.

As for why government MLAs have been joining NDP MLAs on their tours, Merriman said when a tour is put together, the health authority will see if there are any other MLAs who’ve asked and will put the tours together to try to minimize disruption in the facility.

Merriman also said the government isn’t muzzling anyone, pointing out that health-care workers have been writing op-eds, posting online and speaking to media.

“I have great opportunities and very blunt conversations, as I’ve said in the house, with health-care workers – very direct, some of them very upset, emotionally upset, and some of them very excited,” said Merriman.