Rural ER closures must be addressed

HALIFAX – NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender made the following statement in response to the Annual Accountability Report on Emergency Departments:

“With today’s report, we again see the serious issues facing the emergency departments across Nova Scotia. People deserve to know that the emergency care they need is available when and where they need it. The health care crisis continues to impact Nova Scotians. The Houston government has chosen to focus on one-off announcements rather than making sure our healthcare system works. Unplanned emergency room closures are up 32% since last year—a dangerous statistic. Throughout Nova Scotia, ERs were closed 79,813 hours last year compared to 77,304 the year before, and more than half of these were unplanned closures. This is the infuriating reality that puts too many Nova Scotians scrambling to access care.”

Last year 55,000 Nova Scotians left ERs without being seen, up from 43,000 the year before.

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