ER openings a long-term project: premier
Staffing is major problem in N.S. facilities
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | 4:14 PM AT
CBC News
A campaign promise to keep every emergency room in Nova Scotia open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is a long-term project, and Nova Scotians understand that, Premier Darrell Dexter said Wednesday.
"We've made a commitment. We're going to do our bottom dollar best to keep that commitment," he told reporters at Province House.
"I'm not going to arbitrarily, you know, draw a line on any particular date. That would be very unwise, as I'm sure you would agree. I mean, we're here to undergo a logical process of having in place an ER adviser, having in place the structure to make sure we get to accomplish the goal that we've set out."
Dexter was responding to comments made by the provincial Health Department's top bureaucrat, who threw cold water Wednesday on the NDP's key election promise.
Deputy Minister Kevin McNamara told an all-party legislature committee the NDP government won't be able to keep that promise, at least not in the short-term.
The key problem is finding the staff needed to keep ERs open, he said.
"I think what the political masters are saying is they would prefer to have all ERs open, but we also have to deal with the reality of today and the staff that's available. And if you don't have the staff, you can't offer a service that is unsafe. You can't offer a service when there's nobody there to care for the individual," McNamara said.
"We may look at keeping the ERs open in different ways than we've done in the past. We have to look at what the resources that we can add to it. It was mentioned earlier using paramedics in some areas, it might be using nurse practitioners. Is there a different way to be able to ensure that there is safe and effective first-line medical care available to people in their community?"
McNamara said it may be possible in the future, but that's years away given staff shortages.
Dexter said Nova Scotians also know that promise goes well beyond just keeping the lights on in emergency rooms.
"ERs are not the high-water mark. The high-water mark is making sure that we're getting the services that they need into the communities that they want them in," he said.
Emergency room may be closed
There are talks underway between the community clinic in Annapolis Royal and the Digby General Hospital about sharing emergency services, he said, and it's possible only one will offer emergency care in the future.
Dexter said he won't block an ER closure — if it's what's wanted.
"We need to respond to what communities say. If they say there is no further need for a particular facility of course we'd be willing to consider that," he said.
Dexter said what's important is making sure communities have the health services they need close at hand.
Health Minister Maureen MacDonald said keeping rural ERs open continues to be one of her government's major priorities.
"We think that a good functioning health-care system is one that people have security in, feel secure that they're going to get services — particularly emergency care services — when they most need them," she said.
In late June, MacDonald said it may take "some time" before the NDP government is able to keep its recent election promise to keep ERs open.
Since then, the government has hired a co-ordinator of emergency room closures.
