Guy Pollock, a 71-year-old retired farmer from Watrous, was recently subjected to a terrifying encounter. It happened at the Royal University Hospital (RUH) in Saskatoon. Pollock was hospitalized with pneumonia. His COPD is very advanced, and after being transitioned from an observatory room to a corridor outside of the emergency department, he ended up in the admitted patient E pod where he was susceptible to any and everything. He lived over half the day this way. The heavy foot traffic was overwhelming and he felt vulnerable under the gaze of so many passers-by.
Pollock’s admission to RUH highlights a troubling trend that the hospital is understaffed and over capacity. This is an issue that’s been creeping up for years. In a recent interview, Pollock, an immunocompromised patient, shared his profound concerns about the danger of infections. It made him really uncomfortable with people walking past his bed all day long.
“I thought I was being moved into a bed, into a room, but I got moved into a hallway.” – Guy Pollock
The Impact of Overcrowding
Bryce Boynton, president of Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN), says the situation at RUH is getting dire. He even goes as far to say it is crumbling. In one of these panels, Boynton talked about the continued danger of acute overcrowding with Saskatchewan’s health minister, Jeremy Cockrill. Pollock’s experience is a powerful reminder of the human toll of systemic failures throughout our healthcare system.
Boynton doubled down calling for more creative, innovative solutions to better combat the growing strain on emergency rooms. Expanding access to acute care beds, he acknowledged, is a noble pursuit. That said, he did read into the record important questions regarding the quality of these beds and their problematic availability.
“It’s commendable that we’re trying to increase acute care bed access, so that we can take some of the pressures off the ERs, but when they’re being sold as new, when they’re not new, that’s where there are some concerns,” – Bryce Boynton
Pollock’s fears about his health were palpable. He shared his concern of being near that many people. This was particularly worrisome for him as he had already suffered through many debilitating health concerns.
“With all those people going by your bed…I was really, really scared and petrified that I was going to catch something bad that might end my life,” – Guy Pollock
Government Response and Future Plans
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is making moves to mitigate the lack of emergency care at RUH. They intend to open 109 new acute care beds at Saskatoon City Hospital. As of now, 20 of these beds are active, and according to John Ash, SHA’s vice-president for integrated Saskatoon health, adding weight to optimism, a new 24-hour urgent care centre is slated to launch next spring.
Minister Cockrill reiterated the government’s priority of ensuring robust places of work. They’ve set their sights ever broader, advocating to ensure that healthcare professionals across the province are safe. Now some are asking whether these actions will go far enough to meet the pressing needs of patients, such as Pollock.
“Our government remains committed to building strong, safe, and secure working environments for health care professionals across the province,” – Jeremy Cockrill
Pollock had high praise for the nursing staff and their commitment. He stressed that the challenges currently facing RUH come from systemic, underlying issues that can’t wait to be dealt with. He added it was unfair to put him in a position that endangers his health.
“I know it’s not the nurse’s fault. It’s the system’s fault, and it has to be fixed.” – Guy Pollock
