Saskatchewan plans to send critical patients to Ontario

REGINA—Saskatchewan is preparing to send some of its critical COVID-19 patients to Ontario as its hospitals are over capacity.

Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone said Wednesday that the province is preparing air ambulance flights.

Transfers to Ontario could happen as early as this week, he said, but that depends on the admissions to Saskatchewan’s intensive care units.

A spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Health said the province has enough ICU space to take out-of-province patients. However, the Ontario government did not disclose how many Saskatchewan patients it can take in.

Saskatchewan has stopped all elective surgeries, started cancelling urgent surgeries and admitted adults into its children’s hospital. Additionally, more than 160 health-care workers have been redeployed.

“We are seeing unprecedented rates of hospitalizations and ICU admissions. This is pushing the system to a place where we are not providing care to non-COVID patients across this province as we should be,” Livingstone said.

He added that a major medical event would result in doctors choosing who does and does not get an intensive care bed.

“We’re making sure we’re prepared for the worst,” he said.

Livingstone said critical care nurses are the most important resource Saskatchewan has and the state of the province’s health-care system depends on them. He said he’s unsure how long the province can maintain its ICU capacity without having critical care nurses taking breaks or burning out.