WENTWORTH – Health care took centre stage at the Wentworth Recreation Centre Tuesday night.
“We’re saying let’s make it the number one priority over having a balanced budget. Let’s fix it now and worry about balanced budgets later,” said NDP candidate Larry Duchesne, the first candidate to speak on the topic of health care during the Cumberland South candidate’s forum.
About 60 people attended the forum, and, besides Duchesne, the forum also featured Liberal candidate Scott Lockhart, Progressive Conservative candidate Tory Rushton, and Green Party candidate Bruce McCulloch.
Residents of Cumberland South go to the polls on Tuesday for a by-election that will elect one of the four candidates to the Nova Scotia legislature.
While knocking on doors throughout the riding, all four candidates said residents have expressed a desire for more doctors and less emergency room closures, especially in Springhill, Parrsboro and Pugwash.
All four candidates said more has to be done to showcase the beauty and laidback lifestyle of Cumberland South to potential doctors, but all four also expressed a need to alleviate the work loads of doctors already in Cumberland South.
Rushton pointed out that many patients in Cumberland South end up being treated in Sackville, N.B., and said maybe it’s time to co-operate with the New Brunswick Health Authority.
“If we’re this close to Sackville can we not have a mutual agreement with New Brunswick to share services?” asked Rushton. “We’re very close to New Brunswick. I’m sure we can open up a conversation with the Health Authority in New Brunswick, share doctors back and forth, and help alleviate some of our ER closures right away here in Cumberland County.”
McCulloch said paramedics might help reduce stress at Cumberland South ER’s.
“The idea of paramedics is one we could explore a little bit more because there is an awful lot of training that takes place there,” said McCulloch. “Although, we need to raise their wages because they’re not being paid very well. Their wages have effectively stagnated over the last half-dozen years.”
Lockhart said there are five doctors in Springhill, with only one working in the ER.
“One of the first things I’m going to do is take a common-sense approach to this and I’m going to go talk to those doctors and find if there’s anything we can do to maybe entice them to work in the ER,” said Lockhart.
He also said pharmacists and nurses could take on roles previously reserved for doctors, such as prescribing medicine for ailments such as strep throat.
Duchesne said doctors need to be paid more and, also, more money needs to be put into training doctors.
“A crisis situation demands crisis action. We need to train more doctors. If we supply money for their training they can stay in Nova Scotia, particularly in rural areas, for a period of time,” said Duchesne. “We can also make it easier for doctors from other countries to work here.”
Lockhart agreed with Duchesne, saying a fast-track immigration system needs to be put in place for doctors from other countries wishing to work in Nova Scotia.
