The Saskatchewan NDP says new data from the Canadian Institute of Health Information indicates there were fewer nurses working in the province in 2023 than there were in 2018, when Premier Scott Moe took office. As an example there were around 2,200 rural and remote registered nurses in 2018 and only 1,700 in 2023, which is a 24 per cent drop. Seven years ago, there were 991 registered nurses working in Long Term Care in Saskatchewan while in 2023 there 896.

The NDP also points to CIHI data from 2023 which indicates Saskatchewan had the second worst doctor to patient ratio of the six geographically larger provinces at a ratio of 221 physicians per 100,000 people. Manitoba’s was 219 doctors per 100,000 people. British Columbia had the highest ratio with 272 per 100,000.

NDP Shadow Minister of Health Vicki Mowat says it’s time to massively overhaul the recruitment strategy and build retention solutions with help from healthcare workers.