The Minister of Health acknowledges that we have a lot challenges in our system, but he’s not about to declare a crisis.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association says about 100,000 people in the province don’t have a family doctor, a situation which they do see as a crisis.

They wish to see a detailed formal plan for recruitment and retention of physicians.

Minister John Haggie says while there may not be one large red book, they do have a short, medium and long-term plan to improve access to GP’s, culminating with the Health Accord process.

He also says we in this province are better off than some other provinces, not as well off as others when it comes to health care.

Had it not been for COVID-19, Haggie says we would have been further along in dealing with the health care challenges.

Had the nearly 300 people in the Department of Health and the thousands of people in the Regional Health Authorities not been seized for COVID, a lot of policy work would have been done by now, he says.