PC MLA presses Minister of Health for answers
PICTOU, NS – Pictou West MLA Karla MacFarlane says the recent closure of the Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital after-hours outpatient clinic is devastating to the residents of Pictou.
She pressed the Minister of Health in the legislature today during question period to find out what is being done to recruit local doctors.
“Access to health services is crucial for people in our community,” says MacFarlane. “The Liberal government is not doing enough to recruit doctors to practice in rural communities. The closure of the after-hours clinic is another big blow to our area.”
MacFarlane is concerned that the loss of the clinic at Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital will put even more strain on the already stressed emergency room at the Aberdeen Hospital.
Last August, the Liberals closed the short-stay mental health unit at the Aberdeen Hospital. Today’s news of the SHMH after-hours outpatient clinic closure compounds the issue.
“We need a plan from the Liberal government for how they are going to provide access to after hour care in Pictou,” says MacFarlane. “The minister was very short on details. I will continue to press for information on behalf of my constituents.”