Western Newfoundland is facing a health care crisis. Jefferies has been with out a Doctor for over 8 months, and the local Doctor in St. George's will be leaving on December 31, 2014. Within a year Dr. Parsons will be retiring in Stephenville and the emergecy department at the Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital is constantly packed with people waiting to see a doctor because they can't get in to a local clinic or don't have a family doctor.
Western Health has been telling our MHA and local council they have been trying to recruit Doctors however residents have yet to see a job add or any effort on their part to replace the local doctors. Clinics are operating at capactity and in some cases over capacity, however the health board continues to add additional duties to rural doctors causing stress, and fatigue. Recently, Western Health has taken away the right of any doctor not practicing in a hospital to issue chemo directive, causing cancer patience to have to seek a new Dr. Are they trying to close rural clinics, certainly looks that way.
Residents will not sit back and let the government take away our right to health care. Replace the Doctor in St. George's and hire a new Doctor for Jefferies, and allow them to work full time in their clinics. Open a walk in clinic to elminate the long wait times at the local hospital, or hire nurse practitioners.
This is more than a St. George's issue, it is a Bay St. George' issue. Health care is a right not a privilidage. Please sign this petition so that we can present it to the Minister of Health.
