The first 40 beds of a 109-bed expansion at Saskatoon City Hospital are open and operational. 

Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill helped share the milestone today, which is part of a larger 109-bed expansion project slated to wrap up by the end of 2026.  He says these beds are general medicine beds, but the expansion also consists of 22 acute rehabilitation beds, 12 acquired brain injury beds, and 15 high acuity beds, as well as expanded Medical Imaging, Laboratory and Pharmacy Services.

The expansion, once complete, will require about 500 additional staff and 385 FTEs.  

“So far we have about 140, 150 positions filled. The 40 beds that we have operational now are fully staffed. As we get to the next 20 beds opening in the spring, and then the next 49 beds, those will be staffed up at that time.”

However, there have already been staffing shortages at City Hospital’s emergency room, which showed up in the form of short-term closures and reduced hours. 

“We made the decision to pull back hours in the summer. Since then, we’ve been able to roll back. I think it’s open till 6:00 p.m. right now. Obviously, we’re working to get back to that 8:30 or 9:00 time.”

The NDP cast doubts regarding the improvements at City Hospital after the SHA issued a notice early afternoon Sunday that the Emergency Department would close early due to unavailability of physicians. Cockrill says that was “one-time freak disruption.” 

Associate Health Critic with the NDP, Keith Jorgenson, responded to the announcement with ‘what good are new hospital beds if he has no plan to bring on more frontline healthcare staff?’