St. John’s, N.L. (November 25, 2024) – Lloyd Parrott, Progressive Conservative MHA for Terra Nova is raising serious concerns about the temporary closure of pediatric and obstetrical services at the Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital in Clarenville.

Parrott was responding to a press release from NL Health Services on Friday, which announced that these critical services would be unavailable from Sunday, November 24, at 8:00 a.m. to Tuesday, November 26, at 8:00 a.m.

“For months, I’ve been raising alarms about the lack of specialist services at the Clarenville Hospital, yet the Minister seems either oblivious or willfully ignoring the urgency of the situation,” said Parrott. “The repeated failure to address gaps in specialty coverage has caused immense stress and worry for residents across the region.”

Parrott highlighted that he first raised concerns with the Minister in July and has been sounding the alarm about the lack of internists and pediatricians since November 4. He emphasized the importance of the Dr. G.B. Cross Hospital as a regional facility serving the people of Clarenville, the Bonavista Peninsula, and the Come By Chance area.

“A young mother facing pregnancy complications in Clarenville can’t afford to travel two hours for emergency care. A senior from Bonavista could be forced to travel four hours to St. John’s, bypassing our regional hospital entirely. This is a matter of life and death. Full stop.”

Parrott also pointed out that concerns about coverage and remuneration for specialists have been raised by physicians for years but continue to go unaddressed by the Liberal government.

“This is a complete failure of the Furey Liberals. Their inaction has allowed the stripping away of vital specialty services at the Dr. G.B. Cross Hospital. This Liberal government has turned its back on the people of this region, putting lives at risk.”