Empty by-election commitments will not save rural health services

If the provincial government is serious about securing x-ray and lab services in Flower’s Cove and Lewisporte, they should provide the investment instead of promising more consultation in an effort to buy time and get through a by-election, says Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones.

Last night, Premier Williams, Health Minister Jerome Kennedy, and an entourage of PC party faithful, committed to look at whether services at the health facility in Flower’s Cove can be accommodated if space can be found and appropriate savings made in other areas of the new facility. No commitment was given that these services will stay in Flower’s Cove, only the hope of consultation.

“Last night’s meeting was nothing more than an attempt to calm people during the next 19 days of the by-election in the Straits-White Bay North,” said Ms. Jones. “There were no guarantees made that the x-ray and lab services will stay and I believe more than ever that this government has a larger agenda of gutting rural health care in this province. Trying to fool people into complacency is disrespectful of their issues and certainly will do little for the long-term security of their health care services.”

Jones says that the review of 38 facilities with lab and x-ray services is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of the month. She feels that government’s plan is to announce more cuts in the coming weeks, once the by-election is complete.

“The purchase and installation of new x-ray equipment is already on hold in communities such as Deer Lake and Springdale and I believe there will be other cutback announcements coming. If this government did not have an agenda of removing services, they would simply ensure that x-ray and lab services stay in Flower’s Cove and Lewisporte. Instead, they are saying that they might look at it in the coming months.