|
Petition
Presented May 7, 2008
To improve efforts to recruit and retain general
practitioners.
Home
| In the House | Petitions
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. BUTLER: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I did have a few
petitions. I had some leftover and I thought that I was
not going to have to stand here again today, but it is
on the doctor shortages in the Conception Bay North
area, and I am sure throughout this Province. There is a
tremendous shortage of doctors, and I guess I have been
prompted over the last few days as you read the papers,
listen to the news, the people who have called in
complaining about the shortage of doctors and the
problems that they are having.
I guess most recently,
even the Joint Councils of Conception Bay North, which
takes in quite a few communities, they are hearing from
their residents and they have brought it forward in the
form of a motion themselves, hoping that government will
see to it and try their best. I know we hear talk of
recruitment and retention and we hope that over the next
short period of time that something will happen, Mr.
Speaker. It is a serious situation, more so where people
do not even have a doctor. They have to travel either to
St. John’s to try and get a doctor, but the key thing
and the main thing they have problems with is when they
have some specialized work done. They do not have a
general practitioner where their reports can be sent
back to.
So, Mr. Speaker, I just
call upon government to see to it and try to do their
best to keep up the battle for the retention and the
recruitment of doctors in rural Newfoundland. We know
the seniors even brought it forward as part of their
platform, that they find it very difficult. It also
places a tremendous burden on the emergency units. When
people do not have a general practitioner to go to, they
have to go to the emergency units.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. |
