The union representing health care workers in Weyburn and the rest of Saskatchewan has expressed concerns about proposed health care re-organization.

Layoffs have been announced in the Regina-Qu'Appelle health region, and an advisory panel has been looking at ways of reducing the number of health regions in the province.

Sandra Seitz is president of local 5999 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing health care providers in the Sun Country Health Region.

There has been no indication of layoffs in Sun Country, but Seitz is nervous. "We do have a concern about that. We feel that the staffing that is in place, each and every one of them, are a valuable part of delivering the health care services in Saskatchewan, and each and every one of them is needed."

The provincial union has also expressed concerns about the short timeline for the study into reducing the number of health regions in the province, and the lack of public consultation. In a news release, the union expressed 'grave concerns' about the process, citing both lack of public consultation, and what the union called the exremely short timeline.

Public comments on the proposed changes are due by today, Sept. 26th, and the final report of the advisory panel us due on Oct. 31st.

Seitz told Discover Weyburn that health care providers are already working at capacity. "Taxing workloads, as it is, and to cut back any further, brings the question, how are those services going to be delivered to provide the same quality of care."

She also questions the value of fewer, larger health care regions. ""Anytime you move that decision-making further away from the residents that you are to be providing the service to, the same quality just isn't there."

Seitz added that health care restructuring must put the values that define the public service at the forefront of change. "Health care in Saskatchewan must be accessible, universal, comprehensive, and publicly-administered, publicly-funded, and delivered on a non-profit basis." she added.