Today, CUPE 5430 President Bashir Jalloh and executive members joined health care workers at a bargaining information rally at the Yorkton Regional Hospital to raise awareness about the crisis in health care and to pressure the provincial government to provide a fair deal at the bargaining table.
“We are rallying in Yorkton today to shine a light on the crisis in health care. Too often, families in this region cannot get care where and when they need it,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430. “Chronic short staffing has disrupted local hospital services in the region far too frequently in recent years. These hospital closures are dangerous and unacceptable.”
A new research report from the University of Regina’s Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), “The Current State of Health Care in Saskatchewan” highlighted concerning statistics on the state of rural health care:
- There was a total duration of 2,932 days or the equivalent of eight years of service disruptions in health facilities across the province.
- Of the facilities that faced service disruptions, 5 of the 10 facilities with the most disruptions were located in Region 5 (former Sunrise Health Region).
- A full 44% of the service disruptions in regions represented by CUPE took place in the Yorkton area.
“People in Yorkton and surrounding communities should be able to access care where and when they need it. Sadly, that’s just not the case,” said CUPE 5430 Region 5 General Vice-President Corinne Sopel. “The provincial government needs to increase full-time positions and better compensate health care workers that provide vital care in the region. If they don’t, we will continue to see service disruptions and health care workers choosing to leave their professions.”
CUPE 5430 is calling for a fair deal at the bargaining table to address retention issues and the expansion of permanent, full-time health care positions across the province.
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