Merriman Defends Dismantled Field Hospitals As COVID-19 Returns To Dominate Question Period | The Canadian News

In a question period once again dominated by opposition criticism of the Saskatchewan government’s COVID-19 response, Health Minister Paul Merriman was asked to defend a decision made in June to dismantle pandemic field hospitals.

“Why dismantle field hospitals when you knew they would be needed?” asked Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili on camera Monday, referring to June 15 Modeling COVID-19 which predicted an increase in cases during the following months.

In response, Merriman said that “the recommendation to dismantle” the two field hospitals came from the Saskatchewan Health Authority. He said the recent need to transfer ICU patients to Ontario stemmed from a shortage of trained healthcare workers in place of beds or equipment.

“Those field hospitals were dismantled, but we made sure the human resources were in the right place at the right time.”

Speaking to reporters after the question period, Merriman said the equipment and beds installed in the field hospitals were redistributed across the province after the closures.

“The modeling that we had at the time, which was the first modeling that we had seen, was a very scary number. We wanted to be ready for that, ”added Merriman.

Located in Saskatoon at Merlis Belsher Place and the International Trade Center in Regina, the field hospitals were established to support 300-650 patients combined if needed. They were established early in the COVID-19 pandemic to cope with a possible increase in patient volumes.

Scott Livingstone, executive director of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said in June that “the creation of these field hospitals was an essential component of our defensive strategy. And as we continue to monitor COVID hospitalizations and ensure that emergency plans are in place, we believe that field hospitals no longer need to be part of those plans and we are very glad that we never had to use them. “

Meili also used the question period again to suggest that the government might have acted earlier to enact the mask and vaccine mandates and to request federal assistance to bolster health care personnel. Merriman used their responses to thank healthcare workers and promote the recent activation of the Provincial Emergency Operations Center.

“Part of their process is reaching out to other provinces and other states to see if there is help,” he said, adding that the province has been constantly

Meanwhile, Matt Love, a critic of Municipal Affairs for the NDP, asked why Government Relations Minister Don McMorris told Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark that the province would not support a proposed statute limiting gatherings in the city. . The regulation was eventually rejected by the Saskatoon city council.

“Why is this government preventing the City of Saskatoon from assuming the public health leadership that experts are calling for?” I ask

McMorris responded that “cities are responsible for their own facilities.”

“They can determine how many people can attend a concert, for example. We have a responsibility on many other fronts, such as healthcare. The city of Saskatoon knew what the answer would be and I think that was reflected in their vote. “

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