Office of the Official Opposition
Healthcare in Central NL on “Life Support”: Tibbs

For Immediate Release

(June 18, 2024, Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L.):  Today, Chris Tibbs, PC MHA for Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans, joined the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor and the Grand Falls-Windsor Community Healthcare Coalition in calling for urgent and immediate action to address the region's shortage of family physicians.

Tibbs was reacting to a joint news release from the Town Council and Coalition raising alarms about the continual lack of family physicians, which has resulted in thousands of residents without a family doctor.

"This group has been working diligently with other stakeholder groups to improve physician access, but the reality has become apparent.  The Furey Liberals continue to make photo op announcements about Family Care Teams when these are just empty buildings. We have no staff. We have no family doctors despite the many promises of the Furey Liberals to the people of Central NL."

Tibbs has been asking questions about the lack of family doctors for years, which has caused long wait times at the hospital emergency room, including stretchers in hallways for days on end.

"The Town Council and Community Healthcare Coalition have now confirmed that only a tiny fraction of residents have been able to get into the local Family Care Team.  Doctors have left the area because of a lack of support, and others have offered to help, but the Furey Liberals have not been willing to come to the table. The Family Care Team is on life support."

Tibbs noted that the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association has indicated that over 136,000 residents lack a family doctor, while the Furey Liberals have disputed this number.

"This is a crisis! People are tired of the Furey Liberal photo ops and ribbon cuttings. We need urgent and immediate action to stabilize physician access in Central NL. The Furey Liberals failure on physician recruitment and retention is risking lives."

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