Burin Peninsula residents deserve better health care

There are so many stories surrounding health care in our province — dismal stories that question the intent and integrity of government and health boards to deliver quality health care to everyone in our province.

Always a never-ending story about wait times for diagnostic procedures, doctor’s appointments, lack of physicians and the urgent need to recruit more doctors, nurses, diagnostic and medical staff.

The U.S. Memorial Hospital — St. Lawrence is a true reflection of what is happening to quality health care. The emergency department has not been operating for the last few years. Once staffed with three doctors, there is a locum physician who visits one day every three weeks to provide a service to a minimum number of patients.

The medical service is not provided on a first come, first serve basis. There is currently a nurse practitioner tasked to carry the burden of three doctors, five days a week, though resourceful.

Patients who phone for an appointment are told there is no doctor available and no prospects for a locum in the future, indicating the visiting doctor — who provided a one-day clinic every 21 days — has her quota of patients.

The vast majority of patients in the catchment area do not have a family physician. Many of these patients have to show up at the emergency department at the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre for routine medical appointments.

This situation, if not corrected, will certainly compromise the delivery of emergent care on the Burin Peninsula.

The Minister of Health and MHA have made repeated promises to our people the hospital would be staffed with doctors. Is it too much to expect a just resolution that is founded on moral conduct and principle, living up to its responsibility to not endanger people’s lives?

Wayde Rowsell

St. Lawrence