Sask. retreats on ER wait time pledge: 60% reduction is new target

After abandoning a pledge to completely eliminate hospital emergency room waits, the Saskatchewan government now says its new target is a 60 per cent reduction.

Health Minister Dustin Duncan made the announcement on Wednesday. The new target is to be achieved by 2019, two years later than the previously announcedtarget date for complete elimination of waits.

In a new release, Duncan said the 60 per cent reduction is still an ambitioustarget.

The New Democrats slammed the Saskatchewan Party government for backing away from ending ER wait lists.

Current wait times are "terrible," if not "dangerous,"Saskatoon NDP MLADanielle Chartier said in a written statement.

"Pushing back any goal to reduce those waits pushing it back by years is absolutely not good enough,"she said.