Garbage on floors, out of service elevators and halls filled with patients is how the Royal University Hospital (RUH) has been described lately.
Unity resident Tim Lang was recently in the RUH emergency room (ER) with his mother. After suffering from a stroke, Lang’s mother spends days in the hallway of RUH across from a room called “The Soiled Room.”
“The smell was just about unbearable to be in that hallway,” said Lang.
Lang said his mother was stuck between the main artery of the hospital connecting the ER to the main hospital. He said the traffic walking by her bed was so bad, he counted 172 people passing by within the span of an hour.
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“All the traffic goes through that hallway, and my mother was stuck there for two to three days.” explained Lang.
To make matters worse, patients only had small dividers in place to give them some sense of privacy.
Last week, Lynn Harmon also visited RUH to see her mother, stationed in a bed across from the operating room. Harmon took a video of the crowded hallway online, with the footage gaining hundreds of views.
“It was overcrowded, there was people everywhere, there was no privacy… The IV poles were being plugged in with extension cords,” described Harmon.
In response, Integrated Saskatoon Health vice-president John Ash shared that there is a simple explanation for the overcrowding in the hospital.
“We are seeing some of our seasonal respiratory illnesses coming through our system and that’s resulting in higher volumes in our emergency department which is leading to higher admissions to the hospital.” said Ash.
Adding that the province has been actively working to provide more beds to Saskatoon.
“We are going to be adding 109 acute care beds to the Saskatoon system, specifically at City Hospital.” disclosed Ash.
But despite the lack of beds, Ash said patients are being seen in the emergency room much faster, telling Global News that several families have reached out during this busy time to thank front-line staff for the care they have received.
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