CANADA: Saskatchewan Government Starts Fall Session with Plan to Cut Surgery Waits

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

CANADA: Saskatchewan Government Starts Fall Session with Plan to Cut Surgery Waits

Canadian Press (10.21.09) - Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Jennifer Graham

During his speech at the opening of the fall session of the Saskatchewan Legislature, Premier Brad Wall introduced a number of goals for improving health care in the province. Among other issues, Wall said the government will act to "limit the proliferation of needles" distributed by its needle-exchange program.

The government plans to cap the number of needles distributed at any one time in an effort to force injection drug users (IDUs) to have more contact with health professionals.

The change would "bring people into contact with us more often," said Chuck McCann, manager of addictions services for the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region. "I say that because we have addictions people who travel with the needle-exchange van so that it's not just about giving people a needle, it's about helping them access recovery services." He does not, however, think imposing a cap will alter the number of needles given out.

Shawn Fraser, executive director of the Carmichael Outreach Center in Regina, said many users will not make repeat trips to pick up small batches of needles, so "it's probably going to mean that they use dirty needles."

New Democratic Party Leader Dwain Lingenfelter said the change could be "actually harmful to the public," noting that health experts are "saying very clearly that having needles available in a proper controlled area is best for the health and well- being of the community, not just users."

In February, a government-ordered review found the program had helped reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases, particularly HIV, among IDUs. The report said the province was doing a good job of getting clean needles to IDUs: "as good or better a job as anyone else in the world."
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