Sask. introduces amendments to testing law, improving access for first responders, victims

New legislation introduced on Thursday in Saskatchewan is designed to help protect first responders and victims who are at risk of an infectious disease after being exposed to another person’s bodily fluids.

According to the provincial government, amendments to The Mandatory Testing and Disclosure (Bodily Substances) Act will speed up the process for court-ordered testing of the “source individual” when a person is at risk of an infectious disease due to exposure either as a victim of crime or a first responder.

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The amendments – announced in Tuesday’s throne speech – will provide faster access to both testing orders and test results, the province said, while maintaining proper privacy protections, “including court oversight of the application process, and confidentiality rules that prohibit improper use or disclosure of test results.”

“Keeping Saskatchewan communities safe requires strong partnerships between government, police services and frontline responders,” Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan’s justice minister and attorney general, said in a statement.

“We want to ensure those exposed to potentially infectious bodily substances can receive timely information to inform medical treatment decisions.”

The government said timely test results are very important when a person may have been exposed to a disease, as in some cases treatment decisions must be made within a narrow time frame.

Lorilee Davies, chief of the Regina Police Service and president of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, praised the move, thanking the government for listening to the concerns raised by police and public safety officials.

“This information allows front-line personnel to make informed decisions in regard to their health, safety, and wellbeing,” Davies said, quoted in a statement from the province.

The government said it is committed to working with police agencies, first responders and community partners to improve public safety for all residents.