Health care on NDP agenda
Money to open collaborative emergency centres promised
NDP Leader Gary Burrill says his party is committed to spending $3.3 million to open three collaborative emergency centres in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
“An NDP government will make the required investment to reduce emergency room closures in Cape Breton and expand health care by opening collaborative emergency centres in New Waterford, Glace Bay and in North Sydney,” he said.
New Waterford currently has a part-time mobile collaborative emergency centre in place.
“An estimated $3.3 million will go towards infrastructure upgrades and increasing the (employees) required at these three hospitals so that people will be able to get the care they need, able to get it when they need it and able to get it close to home.”
During a press conference outside the New Waterford Consolidated Hospital Friday, Burrill said it was a NDP government that opened Canada’s
first collaborative emergency centres between 2009-2013 — to provide 24/7 emergency care and same-day or next-day appointments.
According to the NDP leader, the result was a dramatic reduction in the number of emergency room closures at seven locations across the province.
“The total number of collaborative emergency centres that have been opened since the day (former premier) Darrell Dexter gave the keys to the premier’s office to Stephen McNeil is zero.”
He believes the current Liberal
government has many shortcomings on the healthcare front, but the biggest failure is the inaction on emergency room closures.
“Last year over half of the emergency room closures in the whole province of Nova Scotia were in Cape Breton.
“Emergency room closures in Cape Breton were closed for 11,620 hours last year out of total closures of 22,500.”
Burrill said in 2016, emergency room closures were up 30 per cent in the province.
Tammy Martin, the NDP candidate for Cape Breton Centre, said the New Waterford hospital is a focal point of the community.
“Every time we turn around they are taking another part of it away.”
During the news conference, Burrill was asked if he expected an election to be called soon.
“I’m only guessing the same as anyone else but we know (the government is) at the three and a half year mark so we know it’s coming very soon. “
In response to the NDP announcement, Cape Breton Centre Liberal MLA David Wilton said a full-time collaborative emergency centre for New Waterford was a promise the previous NDP government failed to deliver.
“This is nothing more than a recycled idea from the failed Dexter government,” said Wilton. “The fact is there have been no cuts to health care in Cape Breton under this Liberal government.”
Wilton said he has been advocating for a new health-care facility for the New Waterford area since he was elected in July 2015.