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Mar 10, 2025
"All I've wanted since we won in 2020 was to be back here hoisting that cup again," said Justin Ball.
Overcrowding issues at Regina General Hospital (RGH) have caused staff to resort to measures used during a Code Orange — the term for mass casualty events.
According to documents obtained by the Sask. NDP, RGH has begun load levelling and looking at adding beds and even recliner chairs to the building’s hallways.
The SHA says 350 people were treated at the hospital’s emergency room on Thursday.
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“Regina’s population has grown, but our health-care system hasn’t. Too often we are at capacity and over capacity. We cram patients into lounges, hallways, closets. They have no washrooms, no privacy, no oxygen, no suction. It’s a ticking time bomb,” said a tearful Laura Znidaric, a licenced practical nurse (LPN) and CUPE facility rep at Regina General.
“This government’s approach to health care is making us feel disrespected, devalued and demoralized. We deserve better, and so do our patients.”
Zndiaric was speaking at NDP media event outside of the hospital on Friday. She said Regina’s Urgent Care Centre was supposed to take the load off Regina General, but this hasn’t been the case since it only operates from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
“Hundreds of LPNs work in emergency rooms across this province, but we weren’t allowed to work at the urgent care centre,” Znidaric said. “This doesn’t make any sense. We need urgent action to address this over capacity issue.”
Dave Eger, area rep for RGH said one of the causes for pressure at RGH was a lack of long term beds.
“Our staff is in crisis because we are being mistreated, we are understaffed… and the government is not taking this action seriously to address these issues,” Eger said.
“We need this addressed for our staff and for the patient’s safety.”
Saskatchewan Health Authority described Thursday as one of the city’s “busiest days”.
“In response, the Regina General Hospital activated additional overcapacity protocols to deal with high volume of patients. These measures helped to address emergent care needs and to alleviate the pressure on SHA emergency departments in the city,” the SHA said in a statement.
The health authority said that a Code Orange was never called.
“The SHA acknowledges that ongoing hospital capacity pressures in Regina may create a difficult environment for patients who are seeking care in our emergency departments and for staff, physicians and paramedics who have continued to provide excellent care,” the SHA statement said.
It added that it continues to see a “late season respiratory surge” in its emergency departments and advised people to get vaccinated for flu and COVID-19.
The NDP’s Meara Conway said the ordeal was very concerning and preventable.
“The surge that caused this particular event was an a highly predictable and modelled influenza surge. So something that they would have known was coming, something they should have been prepared for — really, they’re playing with fire,” Conway said.
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