Are the Liberals planning to close the New Waterford hospital?

NEW WATERFORD –Tammy Martin, NDP MLA for Cape Breton Centre, is increasingly concerned that the Liberals are trying to close New Waterford Consolidated Hospital by slowly removing all its services.

“Conversations with people at the hospital and in the Health Authority lead me to believe there is growing pressure to reduce services and eventually close the New Waterford hospital,” said Martin.

Martin feels there are several issues the public should be aware of:

• The Mobile Care Team has been shut down all summer and there are growing indications that the service will not be restored in the fall.
• Laboratory Technician jobs at the hospital have not been filled after retirements, and laboratory collections are now closed on Mondays, with staff sent to Glace Bay to work.
• Because of the shortage of Laboratory Technicians, Medical Laboratory Assistants have been covering lab shifts after 5 pm; in these cases, the lab work must be taxied to Glace Bay, creating longer waits for test results.
• Finally, the installation of a new sprinkler system has raised concerns that the government may be trying to turn the hospital into a long-term care facility, by slowly making the facility compliant with long-term care regulations.

“The people of New Waterford need an iron-clad commitment from the Liberal government not to remove any more services, or close our hospital,” said Martin. “The Mobile Care Team services should be re-starting now that summer is almost done, job vacancies at the hospital need to be filled, and services need to be restored.”

• 30 –

For more information please contact Kyle Buott at (902) 266-2068.