The town of Lanigan in central Saskatchewan is already seeing economic benefits from what will be the world’s largest potash mine in its backyard, but while the area is rich in resources it lacks another: health-care workers.
The Saskatchewan Party government has said Australian mining company BHP’s Jansen mine is the largest economic investment made in the province’s history.
But Lanigan Mayor Tony Mycock says the area where it is being built has been underfunded in health-care by the government for years.
“We can’t even get a tetanus shot in town,” said Mr. Mycock, who visited the legislature Wednesday to voice his concerns.
The project is expected to bring thousands of new people to the area, and Mr. Mycock said he worries about a lack of urgent care after the province shut down its only hospital about two years ago.
“We’re looking to have an increase in population and we need a hospital for that.”
Mr. Mycock said health-care workers are stretched thin as they often serve areas up to 150 kilometres away.
Lanigan has two doctors and an ambulance service that are mainly paid for by BHP because they also serve the project site.
“If something happens at a local hockey game, we’re calling the ambulance to take that person wherever we can get them in. People have gone to Humboldt (a 30-minute drive away) and sit there three to four hours to see somebody,” Mr. Mycock said.
Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP said Lanigan isn’t the only rural community facing health-care challenges.
Health critic Vicki Mowat said six other areas “have also been plagued by closures and service disruptions that leave residents with limited or no access to emergency care.”
For Mycock, he just wants a plan on when his town’s hospital will reopen but said the government has been dodging his requests.
Citing a shortage of health-care workers, Rural Health Minister Everett Hindley said he cannot provide a target date for when the hospital might reopen.
“It’s a very competitive environment to be in finding health-care workers coming out of the (COVID-19) pandemic,” Mr. Hindley said.
The government said it has put forth some initiatives to recruit and retain health-care workers, including the creation of a human resources agency.
On Wednesday, it also tabled a bill in the legislature aimed at reducing barriers to attract skilled workers to the province.
“We need to find the staff, and that’s what we’re trying to do as quickly as we can,” Mr. Hindley said.
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