Government fails to ensure emergency care in Digby—Dexter

In a statement released today, the NDP leader said up to 60 people a day use the emergency department, yet the department will close for parts of 15 days this month.

In the Legislature, he asked Premier Rodney MacDonald why the Conservative government has been so unsuccessful in attempting to deal with emergency room closures in Digby and across the province over the last three years.

“A fundamental requirement of government is that it ensures people who need health care will receive health care. But this is a government that fails that test,” Dexter said.

“It is particularly difficult for seniors and people with disabilities to have to rely on a government that cannot provide proper emergency services. The people of Digby deserve better.”

He said more than 12,300 people visited Digby’s emergency room between October 2007 and this September.

“Imagine if it were open more often,” he said, and asked whether the Department of Health has looked at the health impacts on people in the Digby area because of a failure to keep the ER open.

Most people visiting the ER are in semi-urgent condition or worse, but wwhen the ER is closed they either have to travel about an hour or wait until the department re-opens, said Dexter.