Update: Evacuation of La Ronge health facilities complete
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has completed the safe evacuation of 49 acute care patients and residents from the La Ronge Health Centre and care homes in the community as part of the mandatory evacuation of La Ronge due to wildfire risk.
The La Ronge Health Centre, including the emergency department, is now closed. While 911 access in the area is anticipated to be intermittent, emergency services remain available in La Ronge at the EMS base. Emergency care is also available at the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital.
The evacuation of health facilities in La Ronge was a rapidly evolving situation that required a high degree of coordination and flexibility. All 49 patients and residents were transferred based on individual care needs and the capacity of receiving hospitals and care facilities. Patients and residents were transferred to facilities in Arborfield, Battlefords, Birch Hills, Canora, Carrot River, Cut Knife, Duck Lake, Foam Lake, Kamsack, Kinistino, Lanigan, Maidstone, Melfort, Prince Albert, Rosthern, Shellbrook, Tisdale, Unity, and Wilkie. We thank all patients and residents for their cooperation and resilience during the evacuation.
We are deeply grateful to the SHA teams who worked through the night alongside partners including EMS providers from across the province, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, the Ministry of Health, the Canadian Red Cross, Saskatchewan Air Ambulance, STARS, Rise Air, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Medical Communications and Coordination Centers, and Elk Ridge Resort, which served as a key staging area for ambulance coordination. The dedication, coordination, and flexibility of these teams under rapidly changing conditions was essential to the safe and effective evacuation of all 49 patients and residents, ensuring individuals were transferred with the care and supports they required.
The SHA remains committed to supporting those affected by the wildfire situation and all those responding to this challenging event.
