Green Party candidate says some smaller ERs should be closed
Last Updated: Saturday, June 6, 2009 | 7:02 PM ET
CBC News
A medical doctor running for the Green Party in Cape Breton has suggested that some emergency rooms in the province be closed.
Dr. Chris Milburn, the Green Party candidate in the riding of Cape Breton North, said there are better ways to spend health-care dollars.
"It’s hideously expensive to keep all these small ERs open 24-7," Milburn told CBC News on Friday. "There may be better ways to spend our money, to spend our health-care dollar," he said.
Milburn’s suggestion runs contrary to what the other three political parties have promised during the provincial election campaign. The Progressive Conservatives, New Democrats and Liberals have all pledged to do what they can to keep every emergency room in the province open.
Millburn said emergency rooms in hospitals in Glace Bay, North Sydney and New Waterford have been closed more than 100 times so far in the past year.
Milburn, who has first-hand experience working in smaller ERs within Cape Breton Regional Municipality, said those that aren’t normally busy — such as the one in New Waterford — should be closed.
"It's so low that we’re essentially putting huge amounts of money into keeping it open for what amounts to generally one or two patients at night," Milburn said.
"These are not one or two critically ill patients. These are one or two patients, in general, [who] could wait until the morning to see their family doctor or certainly go, very safely, go to another emergency room in the area,” he said.
Some residents have no family doctor
Residents in New Waterford weren’t happy with Milburn’s suggestion to close their local emergency room. Many residents in the community live on a fixed income.
Glen Campbell said some residents don’t have a family doctor so they don’t have a choice but to visit the local ER to receive medical care.
"That’s the only place they can go," said Campbell. "If you don’t have a doctor, where else can you go for care?" he asked.
"People would have to go to Glace Bay and Sydney," New Waterford resident Ron Davies said. "A lot of people don’t have transportation," he said.
Taxi driver Bill Loveys explained that a New Waterford resident would only pay $12.00 for a round trip to the local emergency room but $60 for a round trip to the emergency room in either Glace Bay or Sydney.
Milburn said the money to keep the emergency room open could be better spent by paying doctor to work a day shift, work in family practice or a walk-in clinic. He said they could see up to 50 patients a day instead of one patient at an emergency room.
Nova Scotia voters go the polls on June 9.
