The official opposition is calling on the Government of Saskatchewan to scrap their proposed private surgery plan along with calling on Health Minister Paul Merriman to address the suite of issues which the NDP says are “jeopardizing” the health of Saskatchewan people. Leader Carla Beck says “Saskatchewan’s health system is in a short-staffing crisis. If Scott Moe would listen to the experts or even his head of surgery, he’d know that creating a private surgical clinic relying on the already scarce workforce simply wouldn’t work.” The NDP says Saskatchewan’s surgery department head, Dr. Ivar Mendez has criticized the proposed surgery plan saying the province needs to bolster the public system rather than expanding private options.

Vicki Mowat, Health Critic for the opposition says “We haven’t seen seen Paul Merriman address the public or media in months. All while new mothers face a terrifying epidural shortage, Monkeypox emerges, hospitals across the province are being shuttered and our hospitals here in Saskatoon are again bursting at the seams.” The NDP lists a number of health-related factors have emerged since Merriman last addressed the public in May including the Monkeypox outbreak and emergency room wait times ballooning including in larger centres like Saskatoon.