An elderly man named Guy Pollock found himself in a hospital hallway at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon for over 24 hours. During this time, he estimated that more than 2,000 people passed by him while he was receiving treatment for pneumonia. Pollock, who suffers from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has a compromised immune system, described the experience as traumatic, mentioning that the fear of contracting an infection due to his condition made the situation even more distressing.
Living in Watrous, a town approximately 90 kilometers southeast of Saskatoon, Pollock, a self-described “old farmer,” experienced difficulty breathing on October 15, prompting him to call 911. Initially diagnosed with pneumonia at a local hospital in Watrous, he was later transferred to Royal University Hospital. Despite being placed in an observation room upon arrival, he was eventually moved to a hallway near the emergency room, where he remained for more than a day before being transferred to Saskatoon City Hospital.
Pollock, while acknowledging the efforts of the healthcare staff, expressed his displeasure with the situation, noting that he was left feeling anxious and uncomfortable during his prolonged stay in the hospital corridor. He shared that a nurse informed him that there were even worse conditions in other parts of the hospital, emphasizing the severity of the overcrowding issue.
The incident caught the attention of Keith Jorgenson, the NDP associate health critic, who visited Pollock to discuss the ongoing challenges faced by Saskatoon hospitals due to overcrowding. The NDP raised the issue in the provincial legislature, prompting Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill to acknowledge the situation and express his sympathies towards Pollock.
Cockrill highlighted the government’s commitment to addressing the overcrowding problem by investing in additional resources for hospitals in Saskatoon. As part of this effort, the Saskatchewan Health Authority announced the addition of 109 new acute care beds at Saskatoon City Hospital, with 40 beds already operational to improve patient flow and alleviate overcrowding.
