Resolution No. 28-01A

WHEREAS, the report from the Emergency Medical Services Development Project is now complete and submitted to the provincial government; and

WHEREAS, there is now an opportunity to enhance and improve services to rural Saskatchewan, thereby providing more economical and efficient care;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that SARM lobby the provincial government to use this opportunity to provide improved Emergency Medical Services to residents in rural Saskatchewan.

Response from Hon. John T. Nilson:

The top priority of this government is our commitment to an accessible, quality health care system. We appreciate the importance of emergency medical services, particularly to residents of rural Saskatchewan. In June 2000, our government commissioned independent consultants Mr. Rick Keller and Dr. Jim Cross to conduct a review of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Saskatchewan. The purpose of the EMS project was to have Mr. Keller and Dr. Cross make recommendations on the design of a provincial EMS System that would offer a more consistent level of services to patients across Saskatchewan while making the best use of the available resources.

The findings of the project report were shared with emergency medical service providers, our health sector partners, the Fyke Commission on Medicare and others. In its recent report, the Commission on Medicare indicated support for several of the key recommendations of the EMS Developnment Project. Any decisions regarding changes to emergency medical services in the province will be made after consultation with the public and the appropriate heath sector representatives.