A woman named Regina had to leave the province to receive post-radiation therapy

A Regina woman who failed to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help her recovery from cancer radiation treatment in Saskatchewan has been sent to Alberta.

Saskatchewan's only hyperbaric chamber in Moose Jaw has been closed since 2021, with the province saying it is working to expedite the chamber's reopening.

Tamara Hepner packed her bags and left for Calgary this week, where she will receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

“Right now he's on a second dive or treatment at Foothills Hospital in Calgary. So his first one went well. I'm glad he's there,” Hepner's son Brayden Dutchak said.

In December, Hepner was hospitalized and horrified to hear that the only hyperbaric chamber in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, has been closed since 2021. This is due to the lack of respiratory therapists.

“They've had to figure this out since mid-2021, and they already knew they were going to lose someone on this,” Dutchak said.

The government agreed to cover travel expenses to Calgary, where Hepner will receive outpatient treatment for a month. The family is still trying to get treatment back in Saskatchewan.

“We have inpatient treatment. We have outpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, unsuccessful treatment. Saskatchewan is not a third world country and we shouldn't be dealing with this,” Dutchak said.

In a letter to families, the Minister for Rural and Remote Health said restoring hyperbaric oxygen therapy was a top priority. The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) wants a full staff of four respiratory therapists before resuming operations. Currently, it is one short.

SHA is now considering at least partial restoration of services as the search for additional therapists continues.