Released on March 3, 2000
Health Minister Pat Atkinson has confirmed approval of the 1999/2000 budgetplan for the North Central Health District.
The plan outlines how the district is providing services to meet the health
needs of its residents. It provides for:
Hospital services in Melfort. The Melfort Hospital provides emergency
services, ambulatory care, chemotherapy, intensive care, obstetrics,
palliative care, pediatrics, endoscopy as well as a wide range of
visiting specialist services such as plastic surgery, urology,
orthopedics, ophthamology, asthma/allergy, ears, nose and throat, and
rheumatology. North Central provided in-patient acute care to 1,471
people last year and performs an average of 300 in-patient and 1,000
day surgeries a year;
Nursing homes in Melfort and St. Brieux which serve close to 200 people
every year;
Home care services to an estimated 400 people a year and respite care
services to an estimated 30 people a year which enable people to remain
independent in their homes;
Community services such as mental health counselling, public health
(e.g. immunizations) and physical therapy;
Emergency response including an estimated 900 ambulance trips a year;
and
Services to help people improve their health and prevent illness and
injuries including podiatry, dental health education, early childhood
psychology, public health nursing, public health inspection, speech and
language pathology, nutrition counselling, diabetes/cardiac counselling
and the Successful Mothers Support Program.
"The North Central Health District is working hard to provide and improve
service to its residents," Atkinson said. "I am particularly pleased to see
the district's plan to renovate the emergency and out-patient areas of the
Melfort Hospital. This capital project will upgrade these departments to
current standards, and at the same time improve the efficiency of the hospital
by consolidating and streamlining all ambulatory care programs. It also allows
additional visiting specialist clinics to bring services closer to district
residents."
North Central Health District Chair Dale Link said, "We are very pleased with
the many positive developments in our health district. At this time, we are
particularly excited about an impending capital project at the Melfort Hospital
involving the expansion and upgrading of the Emergency/Outpatients, Laboratory
and X-ray Departments."
Provincial funding to the North Central Health District, including one-time
funding for Y2K and other purposes, is $16.4 million this year, up from $14.9
last year - a 9.8 per cent increase. The district has planned for a surplus of
$305,000.
"The North Central Health District is doing a good job of providing services to
meet local needs while managing its resources," Atkinson said. "This modest
surplus will contribute to the long-term stability of health care services in
the district."
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For more information, contact:
Jeff Brown David Fan, CEO
Saskatchewan Health North Central Health District
Phone: (306) 787-4088 Phone: (306) 752-9600