Overcrowding forces Regina hospital to operate as if in mass casualty mode, NDP says

WATCH: The NDP is calling on Sask. to give the Regina General Hospital a lifeline, after they had to work under code orange protocols. Wayne Mantyka explains.

Overcrowding at the Regina General Hospital on Thursday forced staff to operate in a similar manner to when a mass casualty strategy is in place, according to the provincial NDP.

Known as Code Orange, the strategy referred to triggers a specific plan to manage a significant and sudden influx of patients by calling in all available hospital staff.

Saskatchewan’s NDP said that according to sources, available staff were called in, patients were placed in recliner chairs and temporary beds were set up in hallways due to a lack of available beds in the emergency department.

Transferring or directing patients to rural and primary healthcare centres was also considered to help take the pressure off.

NDP MLA Vicki Mowat said it’s an example of the ongoing need for more doctors, nurses and lab techs in the province.

“Our province used to lead the nation in healthcare. Now we’re in last place. We need a plan to address the crisis in our healthcare and build it back up for the future. “All the Sask. Party has done is beef up the bureaucracy and put band-aid solutions on problems,” Mowat said in a news release.

It’s believed the surge in patients was the result of spring influenza cases.

Mowat said that despite the Sask. Party promising its Capacity Pressure Action Plan would alleviate issues at Regina’s hospitals, ongoing problems have only gotten worse.

Code Orange never activated

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) stressed that at no time was a Code Orange officially called at Regina’s General Hospital on Thursday.

In a statement emailed to CTV News the SHA said the following:

“Providing safe, quality care is of the utmost importance to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

Regina hospital Emergency Departments saw a combined 350 people seek care on Thursday March 13, 2025, making it one of the city’s busiest days. In response, the Regina General Hospital activated additional overcapacity protocols to deal with high volume of patients. These measures helped to address emergent care needs and to alleviate the pressure on SHA Emergency Departments in the city. The SHA is grateful to everyone for their tremendous work in responding to this situation.

At no time was a Code Orange, meant for mass casualty events, called.

The SHA acknowledges that ongoing hospital capacity pressures in Regina may create a difficult environment for patients who are seeking care in our Emergency Departments, and for staff, physicians and paramedics who have continued to provide excellent care.

We continue to see a late season respiratory surge in our Emergency Departments and encourage all Saskatchewan residents to get vaccinated for flu and COVID-19 as soon as they are able. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others, including your family and loved ones, from illness and hospital visits.”