The Government of Saskatchewan is facing questions after a subsidiary of a private health firm currently contracted by the province was found to have donated nearly $20,000 to the Saskatchewan Party.

Since 2016, Surgical Centres Inc. has donated $19,300 to the Saskatchewan Party.

According to provinces Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists – the company is a subsidiary of Clearpoint Health Network.

The donations were presented by the Saskatchewan NDP during question period on Monday.

Private medical facilities operated by Clearpoint in Calgary have been utilized by the province to conduct knee and hip surgeries  as well as more recently – urgent mammograms  or breast cancer diagnostic testing.

“Its not a good look. It raises questions about whether this is an appropriate solve,” NDP MLA Meara Conway told reporters.

“Were very disappointed to see that the solution has been to award this contract to a significant donor of the Sask Party – at what appears on its face to be 10 times what we pay locally.”

The opposition has criticized that the province is paying a flat rate of $2,000 per mammogram referral – pointing out that the same procedures cost $130 to $430 at private clinics in Ontario and B.C.

Health Minister Everett Hindley says the selection of Clearpoint was solely based on Saskatchewans ongoing agreement with the company - which he said allowed the province to act quickly on diagnostic wait times.

“I met with a number of patients … on this issue of breast cancer screenings and wait times. As they met with me and sat across the table from me, they were asking for solutions, now. ‘What can you do today?’” Hindley recounted.

“Understanding that we are trying to fill the vacancies for specialized breast radiologists – but they were looking for immediate solutions, as were we.”

When asked if the donations were ever mentioned in the selection process, Hindley was adamant.

“No, I was never aware of it,” he said. “It was never discussed.”

According to the minister – as of Dec. 5 – 30 women have taken the offer to travel for urgent testing in Calgary.

Hindley stressed that using public funds to pay for out of province testing is very much a temporary solution.

“The ultimate solution were looking for us to fill the vacancies we have – particularly in the City of Regina,” he said.

“The waiting list that that we have is roughly 350 women – a significant portion of those from Regina and southern Saskatchewan – but were hopeful that the short term contract will address that waiting list.”

The province has purchased 1,000 tests until the end of March, 2025.

Conway said that the opposition believes the government’s actions and its selection of Clearpoint is suspicious.

“The combination of allowing it to get to this point, and then [what appear] to be inflated rates on their face, and then the company that theyre doing the contract with – the combination stinks,” she said.

“It doesnt pass the smell test.”