08/13/2026
🇨🇦 A Saskatchewan family is questioning why they are being asked to pay $1,300 for an ambulance ride after their three-year-old son needed urgent medical treatment — but no pediatric bed was available anywhere nearby.
On May 25, Amy Haynes’ son Nolan developed a fever of more than 40°C. His doctor in Biggar, Saskatchewan, was concerned about possible seizures and recommended that he be taken to a larger centre equipped to care for children.
The problem? There was no available bed nearby.
The doctor contacted hospitals in Saskatoon, North Battleford and Swift Current, but none could accept Nolan. Eventually, a bed was found in Prince Albert, forcing the family to travel much farther than expected.
Nolan was transported by ambulance the following afternoon, with his father riding beside him while Amy followed in her own vehicle. The trip took them past Saskatoon and farther northeast to Prince Albert.
Thankfully, Nolan improved and the family was able to leave two days later. Doctors had suspected pneumonia, although the exact cause of the fever was unclear.
Then, on July 3, the family received the ambulance bill: $1,300.
Amy says she has contacted the Saskatchewan Health Authority several times, asking whether the bill could be adjusted to reflect the circumstances. She says she would be willing to pay the cost of transportation to Saskatoon, which would have been the closer option, but questions why the family should bear the additional cost created by the lack of an available bed.
She says she still has not received a satisfactory response.
The Saskatchewan Health Ministry said it cannot comment on individual cases, but acknowledged the pressure on the health-care system, particularly in specialized areas such as pediatrics. The province says it is working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and other health partners to improve hospital capacity.
The ministry also pointed out that ambulance services are not an insured benefit under the Canada Health Act.
Saskatchewan NDP health critic Keith Jorgenson says the province should consider covering the additional travel costs faced by families in situations like this, particularly in rural communities where hospitals can be hundreds of kilometres apart.
And this isn’t the first time the Haynes family has had to travel for care. Amy says they previously had to take another son to Swift Current in December because there were no available beds closer to home.
For Amy, the issue goes beyond one $1,300 bill.
“I just want to see things improve.”
Her message is that doctors, nurses and other health-care workers who see the system every day should be listened to when it comes to fixing its biggest problems.
What do you think — should families be responsible for the full ambulance cost when a child must be transported farther away because no closer hospital bed is available?
