Saskatchewan’s premier and health minister have turned down a second invitation to speak separately to doctors that work at the intensive care unit at the Regina General Hospital.
Earlier this week, an invitation was sent to both Scott Moe and Paul Merriman to tour the hospital’s COVID-19 ICU. Both Moe and Merriman declined the offer, suggesting it’s not appropriate for politicians to be in the ICU when health care staff are combating the pandemic’s third wave.
During Wednesday’s question period session, Opposition Leader Ryan Meili urged them to at least speak to the concerned hospital staff if they do not want to visit the unit in person. Moe again rejected the offer, saying this is no time for a politician to be walking through an ICU to look at things.
“I won’t be wandering the ICUs at any point,” explained the premier. “There is a lot of work that is happening in the reporting mechanisms that we have up to the CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Health, along with the two ministers we have in health. I have full confidence in the work they are doing.”
Merriman reiterated Moe’s response to meeting doctors for a separate conversation.
“We talk to members multiple times a day about what is going on in all areas of health care and we certainly do talk about what’s happening in Regina because of the challenges there right now,” Merriman shared.
He added that he will visit the ICUs when it is an appropriate time and it is not as busy.