Health Minister Paul Oram again today refused to provide any legitimate justification for the removal of lab and x-ray services from the communities of Lewisporte and Flower’s Cove, says Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones.

Jones presented a petition on behalf of residents impacted by the decision, presented a motion to have the decision reversed and asked several questions of the health minister earlier today in the House of Assembly. 

“Minister Oram has not done his homework on this issue and certainly isn’t acknowledging the significant impact this service reduction will have on thousands of people living in dozens of communities in the province,” said Ms. Jones. “He refuses to recognize the hardship this decision will have on patients who will be forced to travel hundreds of kilometers to access basic health care services, and he refuses to listen to the dire warnings from doctors who say the health of patients will be severely compromised. This decision is wrong and is nothing more than an attack on basic front-line health services in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.”

The Opposition Leader says this is a very important issue that will only get worse in the coming weeks and months and she committed to continue bringing forward the concerns of the people to the House of Assembly.

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