The NDP is raising concerns about the provincial government’s process for notifying the public about emergency room closures.

The provincial opposition says in a review of community Facebook pages, it found notices of temporary closures of emergency rooms or medical labs in at least 16 communities since the beginning of June. According to the NDP, some of those communities include Watrous, Kipling, Kerrobert and Biggar.

It said the provincial government needs to do a better job of informing the public about emergency room closures.

“They’re deliberately hiding rural hospital closures from the people of Saskatchewan by not publicly notifying people of these closures,” NDP MLA Keith Jorgenson told reporters outside the provincial government’s Saskatoon cabinet office.

Jorgenson said people often find out about service disruptions only after arriving at the hospital and seeing posted signs. He said all emergency room closures and service disruptions should be posted on the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s (SHA) website.

He also suggested sending emergency alerts to cellphones when an emergency room in the area is closed.

Jorgenson is encouraging the public to report any emergency room closures or service disruptions to the NDP so it can spread the word through social media and press releases.

“We, in turn, will notify the public of this closure and attempt to keep people safe and prevent somebody from needlessly dying in front of a closed E.R.,” he said.

CTV News reached out to the Ministry of Health and the SHA. The SHA referred questions to the Ministry of Health.

CTV News reached out to the Ministry of Health and the SHA. The SHA referred questions to the Ministry of Health.

“Accessible and available emergency room (ER) services in rural and remote communities remains a top priority for this government,” a statement from the Ministry of Health read.

The ministry said short-term service disruptions are communicated through local social media and communications platforms. It added the SHA ensures there is signage at the facilities.

“Short-term service disruptions, such as a staff illness or equipment maintenance, often occur with little notice,” the statement read.

The ministry said service disruptions lasting seven days or more are posted on the SHA’s website. It also said in the event of an emergency, 911 should always be called.

“When 911 is called, paramedics can assess, treat, and transport the patient to the nearest location where the patient can receive further medical attention. This will ensure that patients requiring urgent care will receive it in a timely fashion, at the correct location,” the statement read.