The Saskatchewan NDP is calling out the provincial government’s health plan following the leak of an internal SHA memo regarding the recent closure of the Victoria Hospital Child and Youth Psych Unit in Prince Albert.

Dated August 16, the leaked internal Saskatchewan Health Authority memo said that Prince Albert’s Child and Youth Psych Unit would be closed to all new admissions as of August 18. NDP leader Carla Beck (pictured) says the closure is the third such one for the Prince Albert Child and Youth Psych Unit for extended periods since 2020 due to staffing shortages, adding, “The whole northern half of Saskatchewan is without youth mental health beds for the third time in three years because the Sask. Party’s health plan is failing.”

This is the third time since 2020 admissions have been halted to the unit.  The most recent, prior to this latest restriction, was earlier in the summer when the SHA paused new admissions as of July 18th.  However, the information wasn’t posted on the SHA website until August 2, 2023.