Conflicting claims have emerged over the status of ambulance services in Lloydminster, with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and WPD Ambulance offering sharply different accounts.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority said it terminated its contract with WPD Ambulance following an arbitration decision earlier this year.
In a statement to The Border Pulse, the SHA said the contract officially ended at 11:59 p.m. on April 10 after a 30-day appeal period required under provincial legislation.
The SHA said it has arranged for alternative coverage through Prairie Emergency Medical Services to ensure continued ambulance services in Lloydminster and the surrounding area, with a permanent solution still being explored.
WPD Ambulance disputes that claim.
In a statement, WPD said its paramedics continue to report for scheduled shifts in Lloydminster and remain available to respond to calls.
The company said the Saskatchewan Health Authority has not dispatched any WPD ambulances to 911 calls since April 10.
WPD also said it is appealing the arbitration decision through the courts and maintains the contract remains in effect under the Ambulance Act during that process.
The disagreement centres on whether WPD’s contract has formally ended or whether it remains in effect during the appeal period.
The competing claims follow earlier reports that WPD crews were not being dispatched to emergency calls despite being available.
The issue came into focus April 13, when Lloydminster RCMP responded to five suspected overdoses in a span of seven hours. Police administered multiple doses of naloxone and, in one case, transported a patient to hospital due to delays in ground ambulance response.
WPD also said one of its Lloydminster units completed a patient transfer after being requested through a separate dispatch process.
It remains unclear how ambulance services are currently being coordinated between providers, and what role WPD is playing in emergency response in the region.
Read more: Exclusive: WPD paramedics not being dispatched amid Lloydminster EMS dispute
