Digby ‘on top of list’ for new doctor

Digby Annapolis Liberal MLA Harold Junior Theriault is pleased the Minister of Health committed to putting Digby on the ‘top of list’ and doing everything possible to make sure the people of Digby-Annapolis have the doctors they need.

In a statement Friday, Theriault said Digby General recently underwent renovations to accommodate a new 13-bed restorative care unit for patients suffering from stroke and orthopaedic surgery. He told the Legislature that the unit is finally ready, the program is staffed but there’s no doctor in the house.

“During question period on Wednesday, the Minister of Health stood up in the Legislature and told me that there is a tentative agreement in place for a physician to cover the unit. For the sake of my constituents, I hope there are no further delays.”

Theriault says his constituents are getting increasingly frustrated with physician shortages and the extreme number of closures at the Digby ER. Currently, there are over 6000 people in his Digby and the surrounding area without a family doctor. He is also pleased the minister suggested that additional nurse practitioners will be hired once the physicians are in place.

“The health minister says that we can expect a new doctor shortly and a second candidate looks promising. He has publicly committed to making physicians available and to putting Digby on the top of his list. On top of that, he says nurse practitioners are also on the way. This news will make the people of my constituency very happy.”

“I will be watching very closely to see that the minister keeps his word to the people of Digby-Annapolis.”