SaskTel, Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, City of Regina team up for Haiti

March 12, 2010

Today SaskTel employees will gather at a City of Regina warehouse to fill a 40-foot shipping container with medical equipment and supplies donated by Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region. SaskTel and the Region will share the cost of shipping the container to Haiti where the contents will be provided to a health clinic near the border with the Dominican Republic.

“Saskatchewan residents have been deeply concerned about the people of Haiti since the earthquake on January 12th,” said Don Morgan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “The medical equipment in this container will make a real difference for people who have been suffering from injuries and illness.”

“SaskTel has been doing business in the developing world for many years, so SaskTel employees feel a responsibility to help people in need of assistance in Haiti,” said Robert Watson, SaskTel President and CEO. “SaskTel appreciates the contributions of its partners in this project, Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region and the City of Regina.”

“Without medical aid it is almost impossible to effectively treat the injured and sick in Haiti,” said Dwight Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region. “We know that these supplies will help alleviate suffering and improve health prospects for a great many people. We would like to sincerely thank all of the volunteers who sorted and loaded the supplies and equipment.”

"The City of Regina is pleased to make this contribution towards the Haiti relief efforts," said Mayor Pat Fiacco. "I commend our partners SaskTel and the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region for their generous donation. I know the people of Haiti will appreciate the compassion and energy of our partners to accomplish such a life-saving mission."

This is the seventh shipment in a larger initiative of SaskTel and the Region to help communities in need in the developing world as a result of poverty, disease, war, displacement and other challenges. The first SaskTel-sponsored container was sent to the Village of Makina, Kenya in December 2006. The second container was sent to Arusha, Tanzania in April 2007. The third container was sent to Massinga, Mozambique in February 2008. The fourth container was sent to Ntungamo, Uganda in September 2008. The fifth container was sent to Mwanza, Tanzania in April 2009. The sixth container went to Kathmandu, Nepal in November 2009.

SaskTel and the Region are making plans for a second container to Haiti, tentatively scheduled to be loaded in June 2010. That container will carry medical supplies as well as goods donated by SaskTel employees for a Haitian orphanage.

About SaskTel

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation (SaskTel) is the leading full service communications provider in Saskatchewan, with $1.138 billion in annual revenue and over 1.3 million customer connections including over 510,000 wireless accesses, 555,000 wireline network accesses, 216,000 internet accesses and 76,000 Max™ (TV) subscribers.  SaskTel offers a wide range of communications products and services including competitive voice, data, internet, entertainment, national security, messaging, cellular, wireless data and directory services. In addition, SaskTel International offers software solutions and project consulting in countries around the world. In 2008, SaskTel contributed over $610 million to the Saskatchewan economy through dollars spent with Saskatchewan-based suppliers and sponsorships to non-profit organizations.  SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees.

About Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region

The Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region is the largest health care delivery system in southern Saskatchewan, and one of the most integrated health delivery agencies in the country. Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region provides tertiary care to residents of Saskatchewan in two provincial hospitals - the Regina General Hospital and the Pasqua Hospital.
Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region offers a full range of hospital, rehabilitation, community and public health, long term care and home care services to meet the needs of more than 245,000 residents living in 120 cities, towns, villages, rural municipalities and 17 First Nation communities within the Region. The Region covers a diverse geographic area of approximately 26,663 square kilometres.
The Region employs directly and indirectly approximately 9,000 employees. More than 500 physicians have privileges in the Region. The Region’s annual operating budget is roughly $670 million - that's more than $1.8 million per day spent on meeting the health care needs of residents.

For more information, please contact:

Andy Tate, SaskTel Media Relations
Phone: (306) 777-4548
Email: andy.tate@sasktel.com