Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Officer of Health says triage of patients is a “tragedy of our time.”

In a briefing on Wednesday, Dr Saqib Shahab said elective and urgent surgeries are being delayed as resources and staff are redeployed to COVID-19 hospital wards.

“We have a billion dollar health care system, one of the best … in the world that is not able to do what it is designed to do because it faces a vaccine preventable problem.” , Shahab said.

“It is a tragedy of our time, that being in a very privileged society, we are faced with this dilemma.”

Saskatchewan has the highest case and death rate of any province, while having the lowest vaccination rate in the country.

Data compiled by Health Canada shows that residents of Saskatchewan are four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than residents of any other province except Alberta.

The province’s proof of vaccination program begins on Friday. The government has pledged to carry out more testing in the hopes that it will help reduce the number of cases and serious illnesses caused by the virus.

Health Minister Paul Merriman said he had contacted his counterparts in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario to explore the possibility of sending COVID-19 patients there or using some of their health care workers. Merriman said Alberta does not have the capacity to help at this time.

Saskatchewan is working with Alberta to secure another supply of monoclonal antibody treatments from the federal government, Merriman said. Prime Minister Scott Moe works with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on request.

Monoclonal antibodies are produced in the laboratory and can help restore, strengthen, or mimic the immune system.

“If it helps us get 10-20 people out of our inpatient system and a few out of our intensive care unit, the investment is definitely worth it,” Merriman said.

The health minister said the Saskatchewan Party government will not introduce additional public health measures other than those already in place: an indoor masking order and the requirement to self-isolate after a positive test.

“Public health measures are extremely important, but this will not bring us to the end of this pandemic. Vaccines are, ”Merriman said.

“If (people) choose not to get the vaccine and continue down this path, it will be a difficult time. “

Since Saskatchewan announced proof of the vaccination requirement, vaccination rates have increased by about one percent per week, up from 0.5 percent per week in previous months, Shahab said. About 72 percent of Saskatchewan’s eligible population is fully immunized.

Shahab said that at this rate, cases will stabilize and it will take a long time for the fourth wave to ebb.

“Not only will we not have Thanksgiving at this rate, but we probably won’t have Christmas or New Years at this rate. It will be a fall and a winter of misery, ”Shahab said.

Saskatchewan reported 394 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Three other people died from the infection.

With nearly 300 people hospitalized with the virus, overall hospitalizations and admissions related to COVID-19 in intensive care units nearly tripled in August.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is increasing its bed capacity, but says teams are facing pressure to maintain bed space.

“We’re getting to a point where, unless we see an increase in vaccination rates and adherence to current public health measures that lead to a significant drop in the number of cases over the next two to four weeks, it leads us to an untenable situation. right now, ”Shahab said.

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