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As early as 1995 I stated that "Saskatchewan Health shifted its attention from the universal budgeting and accounting processes to the needs-based funding allocation(1)" and that "Saskatchewan Health ignored the importance of the overlapping economic and social relationships of historical health services, historical funding, and historical healthcare level of employment of the districts. More importantly, Saskatchewan Health neglected to understand that budgeting and accounting processes are not mutually exclusive with the different methods of funding allocation." I also stated that "the districts will feel autonomous and effective when they will be able to live within their funding and operate through provincial wide standardized budgeting and accounting processes."

Today, July 14/2000, we hear that the districts' budgets have been developed in secrecy, that most of the budgets will experience a deficit, and that of the 32 districts, only 5 saw their budgets accepted without change by Honourable Pat Atkinson(2), Minister of Health. MLA Brenda Bakken was very perspective when she said "the health districts are running deficits, but at the same time they're not given the autonomy to find a way to improve their situations." Further, Pat Atkinson has stated that about 280 jobs will have to be cut provincial wide(3). In the province we have some 40,000 people employed in the health districts, and Pat Atkinson states that 280 jobs have to be cut! It is ridiculous to hear such non sense from a Minister of Health, and it is more ridicoulous when for the last few months the same minister has been crying to have more nurses for this province. Where is the entrepreneurship of our districts in locally reconceptualizing health services? Where is the autonomy of the health districts provided by the legislation? There is no entrepreneurship and there is no autonomy of the districts, they are not independent, they are puppets of this government and Pat Atkinson is breaking the Health Districts Act again and again. Pat Atkinson has stated that "We're not micromanaging each individual district, but we are setting out a set of principles which my understanding is what people are calling for." Which principles Honourable Pat Atkinson? You break the law, you have a paper vision of wellness, you have a phony needs-based funding allocation, where are your new set of principles the people are calling for? Maybe we have to wait for the recommendations of the one-man Commission on Medicare and $2 million later to come up with another set of paper principles in health care.

Health care has become a pandemonium in Saskatchewan, and the public is being perceived as a bunch of idiots when the same ex-minister of health, Louise Simard, is blasting the government for interfering in the autonomy of the districts(4) just after one day we receive confirmation that her husband Honourable Dwain Lingenfelter has accepted a $250,000 executive position in the oil patch. This government has been in power for the last nine years and after passing unconstitutional laws and breaking their own laws, they are still looking for a new set of principles on how to run their administration.

Endnotes

General reference: Articles by Mario deSantis published by Ensign

1. Immediate Need of New Budgeting Processes for Saskatchewan Health and District Health Boards, by Mario deSantis, March 9, 1995 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-NeedBudgProc-mar09-95.htm

2. DISTRICT HEALTH PLANS REVIEWS COMPLETE, Government of Saskatchewan, Health - 432 July 14, 2000 http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/2000/07/14-432.html

3. Province over-rules most hospital district budgets, CBC Saskatchewan, http://sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted | Jul 14 2000 9:39 PM EDT

4. Ex-health minister blasts gov't, by Anne Kyle, The StarPhoenix, July 15, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan