NSNDP

October 3rd, 2018

Burrill to table health care petition

HALIFAX - Today, NDP Leader Gary Burrill will table a petition calling on the government to increase funding for health care and reverse the cuts to nursing homes. Burrill spent the spring and summer going door to door around the province talking to people about the health care crisis.

“From Fairview and Cole Harbour to Whitney Pier and Hardwood Hill, the number one thing people say to me at the doorstep is that the government must do more to address the health care crisis,” said Burrill. “Solving the crisis requires the government to listen to health care providers and the communities they serve. Unfortunately, listening is an area of great weakness for this Liberal government.”

On nursing home cuts, doctor recruitment, hospital closures, and many other health care issues, the Liberals have ignored the advice of health care providers. Over the summer an additional 15,920 people added themselves to the Need a Family Doctor waitlist.

“The Premier and the Minister of Health refuse to come to Cape Breton to hear from residents about their concerns around the closures of two of our community hospitals,” said Tammy Martin, NDP Spokesperson for Health and Wellness. “We are holding a town hall meeting on October 14 in New Waterford. I’ve asked the Minister of Health to attend and listen, but he won’t even give me an answer about whether or not he’ll come.”

Martin will table petitions against the closure of community hospitals in Cape Breton. MLAs Susan Leblanc and Claudia Chender will also table petitions about the doctor shortage in Dartmouth.

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