More private delivery will worsen health-care crisis, critics say

Four men sit side-by-side, dressed in business casual attire, at a black-cloth covered table with microphones, glasses of water and notes. Behind them are the flags representing their respective provinces.
Four Canadian premiers (from left) — Tim Houston of Nova Scotia, Doug Ford of Ontario, Blaine Higgs of New Brunswick and Dennis King of P.E.I. — are pictured during a media conference in Moncton on Monday, August 22, 2022. Screenshot: YouTube/GNB
CHMA  - CHMA - SackvilleNB | 25-08-2022
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on email
Share on print

The premiers of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI were joined by their Ontario counterpart Doug Ford on Monday for discussions on health care. 

The meeting came just days after the Ontario government released the second part of its so-called “Plan to Stay Open” for the healthcare system. 

That document says Ontario will increase surgeries in "existing private clinics” covered by public health insurance.

But critics say that kind of privatization poses a threat to the public health system.

CHMA attended the media conference and reached out to critics for their responses.

In Sackville, emergency room closures linked to staff shortages mean that some area residents are travelling to Moncton or Amherst for emergency services.

Raven Gauthier is among the Sackville-area residents that have turned to out-of-town hospitals because of closures at the Sackville Memorial Hospital.

Listen to the report featuring Raven Gauthier that aired on CHMA on Friday, August 19, 2022: