Saskatchewan Party would offer more palliative care leave if re-elected

Palliative care leave could be increased if the Saskatchewan Party returns to power in the April 4 election.

Leader Brad Wall is promising to extend leave to 26 weeks from eight for people caring for family members near the end of their lives.

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The federal government recently extended employment insurance benefits for compassionate care to 26 week.

Speaking on the campaign trail in Regina, Wall said a re-elected Saskatchewan Party would also trim health authority costs by $7.5 million and allocate the savings to long-term care.

He also said a Sask. Party government would allow patients to pay privately for CT scans as long as a second scan was done for a patient on the public wait list.

Read: Compassionate care benefits boost staff engagement

The province already uses the “two-for-one” approach for MRIs.

“We are proud of our record in health care but we know there is more that needs to be done,” Wall said in a release Thursday.

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