(September 14, 2021) – David Brazil, PC Opposition Leader and MHA for Conception Bay East – Bell Island, today, offered his blunt assessment of the ambulance crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Brazil says, “Lives will be lost if this isn’t fixed. To be completely honest, I can’t be any more straightforward than that.”

There have been red alerts, instances where ambulances aren’t immediately available to respond to a call, every day for the last four days in the Eastern Health Region. According to NAPE, there were even instances where air ambulances landed without ambulances readily available to transport patients.

“Organized labour, paramedics, nurses, doctors, and our office, have been sounding the alarm bells for months. Eastern Health told the Minister that they were ‘dangerously understaffed’ almost a year ago and we haven’t seen any improvements,” says Brazil.

In January, the Premier commented to CBC that "…the Department of Health and Community Services have taken action on this, on addressing this issue…," however, the Department declined to share any details of this so-called “action”.

Brazil says, “What has to happen for this Government to get its act together?”

Contacts:

Bradley Russell

Director of Communications and Digital Strategy

(p) 709-729-3668

BradleyRussell@gov.nl.ca

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