The PC MLA for Queens-Shelburne says people in her constituency deserve better emergency health services.
The emergency department at Roseway Hospital in Shelburne has been operating on reduced hours through much of this long weekend due to physician availability.
Kim Masland says many doctors aren’t willing to work in the ER because they are exhausted.
“It’s time for this Nova Scotia Health Authority and this government to wake up and see what is happening in rural Nova Scotia and in my constituency in Shelburne. Shelburne County people are being treated like they are second class citizens.”
There were approximately 80 hours of emergency department closures at Roseway in July and August which the health authority attributed to physician availability over the summer months.
Masland says it’s obvious now problems with physician shortages are not exclusive to the summer.
She says the health authority needs to focus more on the locum physician program.
“Sadly, our locum program has not been really pushed to ensure we have enough doctors in that locum program. If you look at the Nova Scotia Health Authority webpage, there have been no postings for locum doctors since spring.”
She says the province needs to stop making excuses for the physician shortage and do something about it.
