Opposition says 180,000 people in NL without a family doctor

    Friday, 9 August 2024 07:00

    By Tonya Organ

    Health Shadow Barry Petten says he is getting a lot of phone calls and emails from seniors about their struggles with accessing healthcare.

    Opposition Health Shadow Barry Petten says he is getting a lot of phone calls and emails from seniors about their struggles with accessing healthcare. Petten says many outline gut-wrenching wait times in emergency rooms and the challenges of navigating a complex bureaucracy. He says he hears “stories of seniors being brought by ambulance to an emergency room, only to be put in a waiting room chair for 12 hours or longer. Many have mobility and hearing problems and don't get access to food or water. The anxiety and worry are immense. This is not good enough." New numbers from the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association suggesting close to 180,000 residents do not have access to a family physician. Petten  says “the reality is more Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are without a family doctor than ever.”

     

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