We sent a communique on this topic just two weeks ago, but, as we all know, things seem to be changing every day. At that time, the Saskatchewan Party government had announced that other than the Phase 1 health care workers previously announced, all other health care workers would be excluded and lumped into Phase 2, according to the age matrix (February 9, 2021).

There was some significant pushback from CUPE, other health care unions, and professional organizations on the exclusion of heath care workers previously included. On February 16, 2021 the Saskatchewan Party government announced that some health care workers excluded on February 9, 2021 would now be included. The announcement is here. There will be more detailed information in the SHA Rounds next week.

Following a review of the vaccine delivery plan, the Ministry of Health has added additional health care workers to the priority sequencing previously established for Phase 1 of the vaccine delivery plan.

Additional health care workers included in priority sequencing for Phase 1 include:

• Individuals directly involved in delivering COVID-19 immunizations in Phase 2 including physicians (up to 2,600), pharmacists (up to 1,200) and other SHA health care providers involved in delivering COVID-19 immunizations;
• Anesthesia/operating rooms;
• All other critical care areas;
• Hemodialysis;
• Vaccination teams;
• Radiology technicians;
• ECG/echo;
• Phlebotomy/lab workers handling COVID-19 specimens; and
• Home care (direct care providers).

For the FULL release, go here.

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2021/february/16/covid19-update-for-february-16-49841-vaccines-delivered-136-new-cases-529-recoveries-three-deaths

We have been following closely the work of the government on vaccine sequencing strategy and plan for immunization staffing. We have also been asking a lot of questions of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

We know that the province participated in the pilot beginning in December that saw frontline health care workers in Regina get immunized with the Pfizer vaccine. Since then, immunization expanded to other communities, and Phase 1 of the vaccination strategy was implemented.

Mid-January the Government of Saskatchewan and the SHA made an announcement about vaccine sequencing and published on their website the COVID-19 Vaccine Sequencing Framework for Healthcare Workers and Vulnerable Populations. The link to that information on the government’s webpage is now broken as the plan and sequencing have changed.

As announced by the Minister of Health and the SHA on February 9, 2021, Phase 1 as originally outlined will continue. This includes all long-term care and personal care home residents and staff, health care workers in emergency departments, intensive care units, COVID-19 wards, and COVID testing and assessment staff. As well residents of Saskatchewan 70 years and older and residents 50 years and older living in remote/Northern Saskatchewan are included in Phase 1.

Regina & Saskatoon – The unions representing information technologists within the Saskatchewan Health Authority are concerned about the recent investigation report released by the Saskatchewan Information & Privacy Commissioner, and the ongoing plan for the SHA to transfer all Information Technology assets (except for digital health) including employees to eHealth.

“To date there have been far too many unanswered questions; now we have discovered through Mr. Kruzeniski’s report that the board and leadership of eHealth is in disarray. We know that this is not the first time that the eHealth Board has been removed by the Sask Party government. A similar removal occurred in 2018. Top leadership of the organization also has been changed by the MoS. For the protection of our members and for the security of private health information for all in Saskatchewan, we believe that the pattern of chaos needs to be curbed and an identifiable period of stability established prior to any contemplation of the need for the move of valuable IT services out of the control of our provincial health authority. Trust badly needs to be restored.” says Barbara Cape, President of SEIU-West.

COVID-19 & The Impacts on Health Care Workers

January 20, 2021 -- 7:30 pm

or

January 21, 2021 -- 1:30 pm

Video / Conference Call Via ZOOM