The mayor of Whitbourne says lives are being lost because of downgrading of the emergency clinic at their hospital.

The service was eliminated outright for a short time earlier this year but has since been restored to a daytime operation. Mayor Hilda Whelan says they have been told that Eastern Health is trying to attract a lab technician to expand Emergency hours.

Government has been setting up “collaborative care” clinics, sort of a “one-stop shop” of medical services for patients, especially those who do not have a family doctor. The mayor wonders if government is just moving health care professionals around instead of attracting additional personnel.

She’s uncertain as to whether the Health Accord, a 10-year plan now in the works, will address the issue.

“Ten years ago they probably did a report and if they hauled that out of the walls—because Confederation Building is insulated with reports that have never been implemented—if they took one of those reports, it would give us a better health system than we have now,” says Whelan.