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SHA communications, released to the Leader-Post through a freedom of information request, suggest a messaging gap between internal communications and public statements in the final days of legislative debate in March

The internal concerns began with talk of a “challenging” situation on March 2, and became more urgent by the end of the following week.

“Please note that our inventory levels are extremely limited currently, as our vendors are enforcing strict allocation volumes due to increased global demand for PPE,” Shane Merriman, the SHA’s executive director responsible for contracting, procurement and supplies, wrote to physicians in a memo dated March 13.

Moe’s tone was more reassuring on March 16 when responding to an Opposition question about PPE in the legislature.

“To my understanding, and to the Minister of Health’s understanding, we have not had any shortages as of yet,” he said during question period that day. “And we’re going to endeavour to continue to do everything that we can to ensure that that remains to be the case.”

Asked about the apparent discrepancy on Friday, the premier’s office said Moe made that statement because he believed any supply issue was “manageable.”

“While every province was facing challenges during that time with regard to procuring testing supplies and PPE, the information the Premier had was that those challenges were manageable,” said a statement from Matthew Glover, a spokesman for the premier’s office.

“This ultimately proved to be the case as Saskatchewan’s health system did not run short of testing supplies or PPE.”

Merriman had previously raised PPE concerns in a March 2 email to other SHA staff, warning that “the availability of such supplies is limited” as distributors responded to increased demand. He said there had already been “numerous discussions” within the SHA about how to respond.

“The usage of such supplies is certainly a concern we have had and managing it is somewhat challenging given the attention drawn to it,” he said.

He said the SHA was contemplating an “internal equitable allocation strategy in an effort to manage through these challenging times.”

[The concerns were sufficiently pressing that, in a March 4 meeting, SHA officials discussed using expired masks to do fit testing due to the risk that the health system “could quickly run out of supplies.”]

On March 11, Saskatchewan Medical Association CEO Bonnie Brossart wrote that primary care clinics were facing challenges with supplies as more patients came to be tested.

“These clinics are extremely challenged in having sufficient supplies,” she said in an email to SHA officials.

Then came Merriman’s March 13 memo, which centralized procurement and advised physicians to refrain from developing “local stockpiles.”

[That same day, the SHA’s chief medical officer issued an email to staff urging “strict adherence” to PPE usage guidelines. Though the guidelines were in line with World Health Organization advice, they raised the ire of nurses, who responded with public outrage days later.]

At the same time, lab workers were raising concerns over testing supplies for COVID-19, notably nasopharyngeal swabs that were also in high demand as the pandemic worsened.

A March 13 memo to staff and clinicians was titled “shortage of nasopharyngeal swabs.” It warned of a “significant shortage” of swabs across the country and attached instructions for alternative collection methods that could be used “in the absence of NP swabs.”

The memo, from medical microbiologist Dr. Jessica Minion and Regina director of laboratory medicine Keri Crawford, said those alternatives could be used due to “limited supply.”

The shortage prompted officials to prioritize three assessment sites, as well as acute care centres in rural areas, according to the memo.

“At this time, swabs will not be sent to Regina or Saskatoon physician offices,” it said.

But Moe rejected the term shortage during the March 16 debate, when NDP Leader Ryan Meili asked about the reasons for not testing symptomatic people with no travel history.

[The premier connected low testing numbers to Saskatchewan’s population and the patterns of COVID-19 infection in the province.]

“We have had no shortage with respect to the supplies needed for testing here in the province,” he said. “If you look across Canada, there are provinces that have tested a number significantly more than Saskatchewan because they have a significantly larger population.”

Moe repeated during March 17 debate that “there’s been no shortage of testing supplies thus far.” He said in a March 18 press conference that he was not aware of “any shortages at the moment with respect to any of the items that we need.”

Health Minister Jim Reiter said during the same conference that there were “a number of days left” in supply, with additional orders placed for swabs. He also pointed to alternative methods of testing that were available.

Chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab added that “supply pressures” could push Saskatchewan to to revisit its testing criteria and prioritize certain people, but only in the future.