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Petition
Presented May 11, 2009
Lack of medical services at the Ramea Clinic
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MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
It gives me great
pleasure to deliver the seventh petition with respect to
the Towns of Ramea, Grey River and Francois, and their
need for a fully complemented medical facility in the
community of Ramea.
I have mentioned this, as
I say, seven times before. My colleague from Port de
Grave talked about living on an island. Well, anyone who
knows Ramea knows it is an island, and of course you
need to have the basics, at least, when it comes to
medical attention. The clinic there was supposed to be
staffed by two nurse practitioners. For months and
months and months they have only had one nurse
practitioner. She has taken up residence and lives in
Ramea and is quite contented, but that person, of
course, cannot do it all. That person needs a day off.
She cannot work twenty-four seven, 365 and she needs
some help.
They are putting in a
little bit of backup. There is an LPN that can do
certain things, that is going to get certain training to
try to help out. There is also some staff that comes
from Burgeo from time to time if there are special
events and so on and you have an influx of people into
the community, but that is not sufficient. The bottom
line is it is difficult for Western Health to attract
the other second nurse practitioner because of their
current attraction system.
The Minister of Finance
talked today about recruitment and retention bonuses. He
talked about the need for it in Ramea, and I was up here
preaching about it for successive days. The minister is
quite right, I have been on my feet talking about nurses
for Ramea, but unfortunately, the current system that he
has in the Department of Finance and government has with
respect to recruitment is not serving the purpose. It is
fine in some cases. Maybe you can attract them here with
the recruitment if they come to bigger centres in more
urbanized areas, but when it comes to rural Newfoundland
you have to do something a little bit special, I would
say to the minister, and your standard package does not
fit everybody.
I have suggested before:
Why not allow the recruitment and retention bonuses to
apply to anyone who is currently a member of the nursing
profession in this Province? Why does it have to be a
new graduate, or why does it have to be someone who
comes from outside the Province? There may well be
someone in this Province who is a member of the nursing
profession who would be prepared, maybe she is retired
or he is retired and they would prepared to go to
somewhere like Ramea for a year. Yet, they are not going
to go if you do not give them this extra incentive to
go. That is what we are suggesting to the minister but
so far he has blinkers on. I cannot say blinkers because
blinkers you still see ahead and you just do not see to
the side. I think he has one of these night masks on
because he is not prepared to look at all and he is in
the dark.
I will be back, every
opportunity that the House permits to have a petition
with regards to this issue. I do not mind speaking up
for the residents of François either. I do not
represent that district but they are part of the same
medical clinic coverage. They have given me the
petitions as well. I know their MHA is not getting up to
speak about it. They have mentioned that to me, by the
way, that she has not, but I will do it on her behalf.
That is not an issue. I will continue to do so, Mr.
Speaker, until, hopefully, the situation is improved
there.
Thank you. |
