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The Saskatchewan NDP is calling for a full public disclosure of the capacity issues at Regina General Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
A leaked email posted by the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses on social media on April 11 said that RGH’s NICU was facing an “unprecedented crisis”.
An email received last night from the NICU who care for #Sask's most vulnerable: "The NICU at Regina General Hospital is facing an unprecedented crisis…. 1:1 patient care assignments are being doubled, and today we used our last available ventilator." #skpoli pic.twitter.com/jWowEmJx8x
— SUNnurses (@SUNnurses) April 11, 2025
“The way that they have been dealing with resources in the (health-care) system, they are constantly playing with fire. They’re constantly on the brink of being over capacity,” said rural and remote health critic Meara Conway.
According to the leaked email, dated April 10, staff at the NICU had been operating over capacity for weeks, with no immediate relief in sight.
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“Our dedicated staff are exhausted, working extended hours and multiple overtime shifts to ensure our most vulnerable patients receive the care they need,” the email read.
“The situation is becoming critical: 1:1 patient care assignments are being doubled, and today and we used our last available ventilator.”
The NDP called for full public reporting of what emergency measures the government was using to add more staff and more ventilators.
On Monday, Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) acknowledged an increase in capacity at Regina General’s NICU but denied that it had ever run out of ventilators.
“While our capacity changes regularly with admissions and discharges, for the last two weeks we are seeing (an) increase in the number of premature babies and multiples births, such as twins, requiring NICU support in Regina,” SHA told 980 CJME in a statement.
“Even with this unplanned surge, the SHA does not have a shortage of ventilators, including in NICU. A number of ventilators in NICU are dual purpose, meaning they can be used as ventilators and as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), allowing even more flexibility depending on the surge.
“Regina also has a number of extra ventilators on site that can be used to support adult, pediatric or neonatal ventilation, providing flexibility within the facility to be used where needed.”
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill also said it was his understanding that RGH had not run out of ventilators.
“We see utilization pressures in several facilities across the province but we’re making investments to reduce those pressures,” he said Cockrill at opening of the Regina Breast Health Centre on Monday.
Conway said the complaint was one of dozens that have been forwarded over the last couple of weeks.
“The situation is dire and, frankly, the minister’s attempt to downplay the situation is not only arrogant, it’s disrespectful to the frontline health-care workers that are working the NICU,” Conway said.
She also criticized the Saskatchewan Party more broadly for failing to adequately staff health-care facilities.
“We’re seeing ribbon cuttings, we’re seeing new buildings but we are not actually seeing this government build out new capacity in our health-care system,” Conway said.
“The urgent care centre is a perfect example, and why they still are not able to open up 24/7 is because this government has no actual plan to build out capacity in our system.”
Conway was joined by MLA Brittney Senger, who criticized the province for using existing workers to staff the Breast Health Centre.
“The government, frankly, has poached these workers and they’re just moving from one building to another,” Senger said.
“This is doing nothing for women. This is doing nothing for their health and it’s just another example of Sask. Party failing women and failing the people of the province.”
— With files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie
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