(July 5, 2022) – Craig Pardy, PC Official Opposition MHA for Bonavista, says the far too common closures of the emergency room in Bonavista are deeply concerning, especially given the ageing population in the area.

“There are healthcare concerns in our province stretching from Nain to Trepassey, but the recent closures of the Bonavista hospital’s emergency room is deeply concerning. According to Quality Care of NL, headed by Dr. Pat Parfrey, the Bonavista Peninsula Health Centre is among the busiest in the province, particularly considering the number of critical emergency room visits,” said Pardy.

“Seniors are a large portion of the population in the Bonavista area, with the second highest number per-capita in the province. For these seniors and the thousands of other residents and visitors to be without access to an emergency room is unacceptable and provides a real risk to the entire Bonavista region.”

Pardy says it’s incumbent on the Minister of Health to take the advice of Dr. Parfrey and ensure services are maintained consistently at the Bonavista Peninsula Health Centre.

“The residents, the data, and the experts are all in agreement: these closures are not acceptable and put people at risk of not being able to access care when they need it. While Eastern Health has offered assurances, the Minister has allowed this situation to unfold,” said Pardy.

“The Minister must act to ensure staffing challenges are addressed to prevent these closures from happening. These closures simply cannot become the norm in Bonavista, or anywhere in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Liberal Government has not done enough to ensure staffing challenges are addressed in our healthcare system, and I worry it’s the people of Bonavista who are at risk as a result.”

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Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Strategic Communications

(cell) 709-725-0984

DavidMaher@gov.nl.ca