SHA relocated 1,000-plus workers in response to pandemic

SASKATOON More than a thousand Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) workers were relocated in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID -19 pandemic, the Saskatchewan Health Authority says.

The SHA has created a pool of more than 2,000 workers in the six regions in the province to address the pandemic and deploy workers in other regions when needed, according to an SHA statement.

For example, during the outbreak declared May 1 at Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital, the SHA had to fill 116 positions in less than a day after a patient tested positive for COVID -19.

The shifts needed to be filled so health care workers who may have come into contact with the patient could self-isolate. The SHA filled 112 shifts the next day, the release says, even though the organization was also dealing with outbreaks in Lloydminster and La Loche at the time.

The Prince Albert patient tested negative for COVID -19 before being admitted to hospital on April 21, but a second test revealed a positive result on April 30.

In addition to deploying staff to areas where health care workers need to self-isolate, the SHA also deals with moving employees to more remote locations that may lack services and accommodations.

The SHA also needs to fill positions created by the pandemic response, including testing, assessment, treatment and screening.

The SHA is the province’s largest employer, with about 40,000 staff.