With Fairview being one of several rural communities around the province having hospital emergency room closures, the NDP wants action taken to address gaps in the healthcare system.
Health Critic David Shepherd was on the Trending 55 Hot Seat and says governments handling of the pandemic and the contract negotiations with doctors have both been factors in the shortages.
“Those are coming together and leading to the situations in the emergency departments where we don’t have enough doctors to maintain coverage and some other communities losing surgeries. All of a sudden, folks are having to drive to other communities to get the care that they need.”
Shepherd says the government needs to “rebuild their trust with doctors” to avoid having more doctor shortages in the province.
“These issues have been ongoing for some time, but the incredible antagonism that this government shows towards doctors, attacking them in the legislature, on social media and frankly from some of their personal driveways, we saw them create an atmosphere which I think has been utterly toxic. That’s one of the most important things.”
Shepherd was this week’s guest from the NDP on the Trending 55 Hot Seat, you can listen to the full discussion below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
