On October 11, Official Opposition Health Critic Vicki Mowat, Opposition Rural and Remote Health Critic Matt Love, and Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioners President Tara Schmalenberg called on the Sask. Party to overhaul its inadequate healthcare plan and create a “Grow-Your-Own” healthcare strategy to provide training and bridging opportunities in smaller communities to increase retention rates.

“We’ve been out listening to the concerns of doctors and nurses all summer. It’s clear – our health system is in crisis,” said Mowat. “International recruitment is an important part of the solution, but priority number one should be stemming the tide of doctors and nurses leaving the profession.”

In 2014, the Sask. Party government committed to a “Grow-Your-Own” health strategy that would support local health workers' training in their own communities. The NDP said in a release that the strategy was applauded by the health sector yet never materialized beyond a press release. 

Other provinces have done similar training incentives to support home-grown health workers. The government of Ontario has created a Grow-Your-Own Nurse Practitioner Initiative and Manitoba and British Columbia have recently introduced expanded training and bridging programs. 

“A ‘Grow-Your-Own’ initiative would support the continued professional development of local health workers and help ensure quality and reliable healthcare across the province,” said Schmalenberg. “Nurse practitioners in Saskatchewan are underutilized, over 200,000 Saskatchewan residents do not have access to a primary care provider and the government’s health plan does little to address these challenges.”

“The Sask. Party has been taking people living in smaller centres and rural areas for granted. Whether it’s Kamsack, Meadow Lake, or Preeceville, people deserve healthcare when they need it.” Love said. “As the new critic for Rural and Remote Health, I’m ready to go to bat for communities that have been left behind by the Sask. Party. With 37 health centres shuttered in a single month, the Sask. Party should be open to all solutions.”