CUPE requires Saskatchewan long-term well being care services to stay in public sector

The Canadian Union of Public Staff (CUPE) is looking on the Saskatchewan authorities to rethink a personal possibility for the Regina Pioneer Village.

Final week, the Ministry of Well being and the Saskatchewan Well being Authority issued a request for proposal to seek out proponents to supply as much as 375 normal long-term care beds in Regina.

“We’re dedicated to offering the absolute best companies for long-term care residents in Regina, now and into the longer term,” Psychological Well being and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Distant Well being Minister Everett Hindley stated.

“This work will assist meet their wants in areas that assist their consolation and guarantee secure and wholesome environments for each residents and employees.”

Customary LTC refers to services and companies to assist people who’re not capable of reside independently in the neighborhood and require 24/7 private and/or nursing care, and who meet the factors for LTC placement as accepted by the SHA.

Bashir Jalloh, the president of CUPE, stated the transfer to for-profit long-term care is not going to trigger quite a lot of issues for the Regina Pioneer Village.

“Their objective is to make revenue,” Jalloh stated. “So due to this fact, they take shorts lower by way of staffing. They’ve much less employees. Their obligation is to their shareholders.”

Jalloh additionally defined how the transfer to the personal system may affect costs for each residents and companies.

“How many people can afford the quantity of three or 4 thousand {dollars} to go to a few of these services,” he stated.

“We wish all long run care services to remain within the public system the place there’s a minimal requirement of staffing degree, the place there are insurance policies and pointers for these residents.”

Transferring ahead, Jalloh plans to satisfy with the federal government and push them to rethink the scenario.

He stated the right instance of why they really feel this transfer ought to be prevented has occurred very just lately.

“If nothing else, we should always be taught from COVID-19,” Jalloh defined.

“We all know COVID decimated our well being care system, all of us, each cloth. However we all know it was far more critical on this personal, for-profit, long-term care services. We simply have to take a look at Regina right here. We all know what occurred to prolonged well being care in Regina, the place their objective is to generate income for the shareholders. And we all know what number of residents died.”

1:39
Two moose wander the streets of Saskatoon earlier than being captured by police.