The Saskatchewan budget is a couple of days away, but Premier Scott Moe spoke about it in broad terms during the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention last Wednesday.

Moe indicated additional money will go towards the health and education ministries.

Among the premier’s stated goals are easing the load on hospital emergency rooms, increasing the number of primary health care providers and boosting supports for younger students from kindergarten to Grade Three.

The provincial NDP does not hold any seats in rural Saskatchewan, but one of their messages gains attention in smaller communities.

Challenges retaining doctors and keeping local emergency rooms operating at normal hours are issues that NDP leader Carla Beck mentioned during her address at the SARM convention in Saskatoon last Wednesday.  She says there are rampant hospital closures and service outages.

“We don’t see an effective plan to recruit and retain those precious health care workers in this province.  Something that needs to change.”

Beck says rural health care issues need to be addressed in this Wednesday’s provincial budget.