Office of the Official Opposition 

New numbers from NLMA shocking: Petten

 

 For Immediate Release

(July 17, 2024, St. John’s, N.L.) — Barry Petten, PC Shadow Minister for Health, MHA for Conception Bay South, said that after nine years of the Furey-Trudeau Liberals, it is unacceptable that new numbers from the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA) further worsen the province's healthcare crisis, with 175,000 residents in our province without a family physician.

Petten was responding to a CBC story today that cited NLMA President Dr. Steve Major, who highlighted that the number of residents without a family doctor has risen from 136,000 last year to 175,000 this year.

"This is staggering and proof the crisis is getting worse," noted Petten. "Despite all the photo ops and political announcements, the reality is more residents than ever don't have access to a family doctor.    Dr. Major also laments the lack of a long-term vision with a health human resource plan that is properly funded. Sadly, after nearly ten years of the Furey-Trudeau Liberals, the crisis has only worsened."

Petten noted that the PC Party has been calling for a health human resources plan for years. While renewing his calls for a full-time Minister of Health, he also called for innovative measures to address the physician shortage, such as allowing Nurse Practitioners to bill the government directly instead of having residents pay out of pocket to access primary health care.

"As the healthcare crisis worsens, we have part-time leadership in the Department of Health.  To have a four-billion-dollar department, with significant, complex challenges being run off the corner of another Minister's desk, is unbelievable."

 

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