As the Radville Marian Health Centre marks more than 40 emergency room closures since the start of the year, the province’s Minister for Rural and Remote Health, Lori Carr, has responded by highlighting provincial gains in healthcare stabilization.
In a written statement provided to Discover Weyburn, Minister Carr, who is also the MLA for the riding of Estevan-Big Muddy, which includes Radville, acknowledged there are “challenges within the system.” She announced that 77 new and enhanced permanent full-time positions are being added in 30 rural and remote communities, intended to reduce service disruptions and build a more stable workforce.
The statement noted a 28 per cent reduction in service disruption days province-wide between June 2024 and June 2025, attributing the success to the government's Health Human Resources Action Plan and programs like virtual care. “I remain committed to working with our health partners... to ensure that Saskatchewan patients have access to the care they need when they need it,” Carr stated.
The Minister's provincial outlook comes as Radville residents have seen their local E-R close more than 40 times in the first seven months of 2025. Staffing shortages were cited as the cause for at least 28 of those disruptions, with 14 due to a lack of nurses and 14 due to a lack of physicians.
When disruptions occur, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s policy is to communicate them through local channels like municipal social media pages. The SHA previously stated that this approach is more effective than its website, where traffic was low. For any medical emergency, the SHA advises residents to call 911.
The Minister's office provided the written statement after Discover Weyburn requested an interview regarding the closures in Radville.