In an effort to attract and retain healthcare staff in smaller Saskatchewan communities, the provincial government is offering incentive packages to nurses and other healthcare workers.

It's part of the government's Health Human Resource Plan.

"We actually have an incentive package of up to fifty thousand dollars for over three years of return to service for that community," said Estevan MLA Lori Carr.

The incentives are designed to keep healthcare workers in places like Redvers, Oxbow, Coronach, and even Estevan for at least three years and longer.

"We're putting incentives in place to be able to help them go to those communities, and then lots of time once you set roots in a place and you get to like your work environment, then you tend to stay. So that is our hope there," said Carr.

Carr added that attracting employees is a big problem right across Saskatchewan, not just in the southeast.