"Government announced that they will be reducing the number of boards in the province to four," said Ms. Jones. "Unfortunately, the minister has no plan in place to see this process move forward. Minister Marshall does not know if there will be any significant savings, she doesn’t know how many positions will be eliminated, she doesn’t know where any potential community offices will be placed, and it certainly appears that her plan does not have any concrete goals that will actually result in an improved health care system in our province.

"While a number of institutional boards could possibly have been merged with the regional boards, combining the larger geographical boards will make it more difficult for rural areas to remain part of the decision making process. I am concerned that reducing the number of regional boards could mean a reduction in service and representation for rural communities. I am also concerned that rural areas will no longer have a significant role in the decision making process as downsizing occurs and communities are no longer represented when discussing issues of importance to their health services.

"I must also ask the minister if any potential savings will be reinvested back into the health care system. We have already witnessed the reduction of school boards in the province without savings being reinvested back into the system. Is government going to take money out of our health care system in a similar move?

"Government’s announcement to slash the number of health care boards so drastically is not a well-founded or solid plan. I expect this is only the first step in what will be the erosion and centralization of health care services in the province. I fear that in the coming months we will see further announcements regarding potential clinic closures and service reductions at facilities throughout rural Newfoundland and Labrador."