Public Inquiry required into COVID-19 and long-term care

HALIFAX -- NDP Leader Gary Burrill made the following statement in response to the NSGEU report Neglecting Northwood:

"The situation at Northwood and in all our long-term care facilities requires a full public inquiry, not the limited review the Liberal government is conducting.

The NSGEU's Neglecting Northwood report points out the impact of cuts to Northwood's operating budget over a number of years, and of the government's refusal to pursue the facility's multiple proposals to convert to single occupancy rooms. An inquiry is needed to address these and related matters.

Residents and staff in all nursing homes in the province have been on the front line of the sacrifice and difficulty of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. Their efforts and experiences need to be honoured with a full public inquiry.

We need to make the investments to ensure that every resident in a long-term care facility in Nova Scotia has a room of their own, and that staff and administrators have the resources they need to provide the care those residents deserve."

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