KAMSACK — The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has issued a statement informing the residents of Kamsack and surrounding areas that the Kamsack Hospital will reopen three beds for admissions, and emergency room access will be expanded to seven days per week.
That will be effective Sunday, April 30. The hospital will now offer three acute care, four Alternate Level of Care (ALC), and one palliative care bed.
The decision to expand the services was made after the successful recruitment of Registered Nurse (RN) and Combined Laboratory and X-Ray Technologist (CLXT) personnel in September 2022, which resulted in the expansion of emergency room hours to five days per week, and the reopening of one palliative care and four ALC beds. Further success in CLXT recruitment led to weekend on-call lab and x-ray coverage between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The SHA is working towards addressing the staffing challenges faced by healthcare facilities in Saskatchewan through the Government's Health Human Resources Action Plan, which has reported progress in recruitment efforts from the Philippines and promoting job opportunities to nursing graduates. The Ministry of Health has also implemented a one-time rural and remote recruitment incentive of up to $50,000 for individuals hired into high-priority classifications in rural and remote locations, including RNs and CLXTs.
While the SHA is committed to fully restoring acute care and emergency services in Kamsack, the recruitment for additional RN and CLXT staff is ongoing. Primary health care, laboratory, x-ray, long-term care, and EMS services remain available in Kamsack.
The SHA said it acknowledges the dedication of the physicians and staff at Kamsack Hospital and thanks the residents of Kamsack and surrounding areas for their ongoing patience and co-operation during the ongoing restoration process for ER and acute care services.
