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Reid renews call for Fogo Island hospital to operate at full capacity and address space concerns March 22, 2007
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Opposition Leader Gerry Reid is once again calling on government to open the Fogo Island hospital to full capacity to ensure the health care needs of residents are being met. Reid is urging government to make this investment to address recent problems that have occurred at the hospital. The 20 bed Fogo Island hospital was approved and constructed under the former Liberal government. During the 2003 election campaign, Premier Williams promised to open this facility, a promise the people understood to mean full capacity. Since that time, only 14 beds have opened which include 8 chronic care, 5 acute care and one respite care bed. AThe residents of Fogo Island are very concerned and angry that government refuses to open the Fogo Island hospital to its full capacity,@ said Mr. Reid. APatients have told me horror stories of being forced to lie on stretchers in the hospital=s hair salon because no bed was available. Another individual complained that he felt very uncomfortable being forced to share a room and facilities with a female patient overnight because there was no other bed. Even though there are empty rooms at the hospital, funding is not being invested for new staff to provide service to open this extra space at the facility. AThe need for a 20 bed facility on Fogo Island has already been demonstrated through a needs assessment completed several years ago. For government to ignore these recommendations and refuse to open this hospital to its full capacity is shameful. While some residents are being placed in compromising situations at the facility, others are being sent to Gander for treatment, hundreds of kilometres away from family and friends. AThe provincial budget is only weeks away and I am calling on the premier to live up to his commitment to the people of Fogo Island. The extra six beds are well-needed, and I encourage government to make this health care investment a priority to ensure we do not see a repeat of people being forced to receive health services in less than adequate circumstances.@
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