Saskatchewan sets record as more than 102,000 surgeries performed over past year

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“I want to thank our dedicated surgical teams for their incredible efforts to make this possible.”

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"incredible efforts"

Saskatchewan sets record as more than 102,000 surgeries performed over past year

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But while more surgeries are being performed in Saskatchewan than ever before, many people are still on waiting lists for their procedures. The ministry said it is also making progress on cutting down wait times for surgeries, with the waiting list shrinking by roughly two per cent – or 525 cases – during the most recent year.

“Our focus is on ensuring patients receive timely access to surgical care,” said Derek Miller, chief operating officer for the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

“Higher surgical volumes mean more people are getting the care they need sooner, closer to home, made possible by the skilled teams working together across Saskatchewan.”

The ministry said it is working towards a goal to see 450,000 procedures performed in the province between April of 2025 and March 31 of 2029, while also aiming to achieve a three-month waiting time “for most procedures” by the end of March, 2030.

It’s not just humans that are performing surgeries in Saskatchewan. The ministry said nearly 500 robot-assisted surgeries were performed in Regina and Saskatoon over the past year.

The recent provincial budget allocated an additional $2.4 million towards surgical services, the ministry added, particularly targeting high-priority procedures like spinal surgeries and joint replacements.

More doctors being trained in Saskatchewan

Meanwhile, the provincial government said an investment of $4.3 million has added 20 new seats to the Undergraduate Medical Education Program at the University of Saskatchewan, and another $1.75M will be used to fund 10 new medical residency spots.

The expansion brings the number of first-year seats in the program up to 128. The government said 12 of the seats will be available at the university’s Regina campus, while eight will be offered at the Saskatoon campus.

“Our government recognizes the important role that post-secondary education plays in training the next generation of physicians,” Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said in a statement.

“We are proud to invest in these additional opportunities to ensure more Saskatchewan students can study and build their practices right here in the province.”

Medical student, Haley Scheck, said it’s “really exciting” to see the number of seats expanding.

“I am originally from rural Saskatchewan and have spent the past year of my training in Swift Current,” Scheck said, quoted in a government statement.

“This experience has allowed me to be part of incredible learning experiences and see the wide breadth of knowledge and skill that rural training provides. The data tells us that physicians are much more likely to build a career and practice where they train, so it’s a great opportunity to improve recruitment and retention in rural Saskatchewan.”