PM’s health-care funding stance ‘political tact,’ Nova Scotia premier says

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Nova Scotia PM says PM is playing politics on health care funding issue

Justin Trudeau has said he wants any increase in federal funding to be made contingent on Prime Ministers putting that money into specific health care gaps, such as health care needs. B. Improving access to health services for families.

“I actually think the prime minister’s concerns are unfounded,” Houston told reporters after Thursday’s regular cabinet meeting.

“I think it’s a bit of political tact I believe and I hope we can get over it. It’s a new year, I mean, certainly we’ve shown in this province that we’re going to invest in health care, we’ve made that very clear.”

Houston said the health system is struggling across the country, “and it needs real leadership, and that leadership can come from the federal government, but it can’t come unless they meet with the premiers and talk about it.”

More than 125,000 people are on Nova Scotia’s need-a-family-practice registry and emergency rooms have been overwhelmed in recent months, particularly with people with viruses like the flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory issues.

There are also thousands of vacancies in the healthcare system as staff burn out and workers move to the private healthcare sector for more money and a better work-life balance.

The number of hours temporary emergency departments were closed due to staff shortages has doubled this year.

The government is making great strides in resolving issues in Nova Scotia’s health system, Health Secretary Michelle Thompson told reporters on Thursday, January 5, 2023. – Francis Campbell / File Some improvements, Minister says

Health Secretary Michelle Thompson said she believes her administration, which has struggled with promises to fix the health system, is making progress in solving the problems. .

She said the respiratory virus season combined with the holidays has put more pressure on the healthcare system.

But Thompson said some things have improved, such as greater access to care in some communities with the introduction of mobile units.

The mobile clinic, a converted semi-trailer, is staffed by nurses and other first responders and includes all the medical equipment needed for the facility to be located anywhere in the province.

It offers a combination of in-person and virtual treatment for injuries and illnesses such as flu or cold symptoms, skin rashes, muscle pain and urinary tract infections. Patients can also have prescriptions refilled or renewed at the clinic.

“I think they’ve been very successful and we’re getting a lot of positive feedback on them,” she said.

“Access to primary care is really important and when there’s no primary care, people come into the ER, so mobile care units, the nurses (recruitment), the pharmacy program to streamline the practice, there were a number of things that have been done over the last few months.”

NDP Chairwoman Claudia Chender addresses reports after a post-cabinet news conference Thursday, January 5, 2023. – Saltwire

But opposition leaders said the government is failing on its promise to fix the system.

“We’ve had twice as many people in Nova Scotia since this administration took office without a GP,” Liberal leader Zach Churchill told reporters after the post-Cabinet news conference.

“And that’s a direct result of Premier Houston abolishing the family doctor incentive program here in Halifax. We saw the numbers skyrocket right after that,” said “Our hospitals are certainly in a much worse state than they were 16 months ago, overwhelmed with respiratory illnesses, understaffed and in a much more critical condition condition. We don’t see a single indicator telling us the healthcare situation is better, everything points to it being worse.”

NDP chief Claudia Chender said every aspect of Nova Scotia’s health care system “is groaning under strain right now, it’s worse than when she took office.”

On Wednesday, the province announced that 65 care assistants from refugee camps in Kenya were offered jobs in Nova Scotia’s long-term care system.

Chender welcomed moves to unlock the potential of the workforce outside the country and encourage immigration, but raised concerns that supports such as housing are not in place to support people already living in the province, let alone newcomers.

“The biggest dissonance in the government’s approach in recent years is its single-minded focus on immigration as we see housing and public services erode. So I think particularly when we’re bringing vulnerable people into Nova Scotia, and that probably includes people who are coming from refugee camps and are believed to have been displaced… we need to make sure they have shelter and services.”

Government officials have said work is being done to ensure the new CCAs have adequate support, including housing.