A family physician in Grand Falls-Winsor has taken to Twitter to outline the current health care situation in Central Newfoundland.
Dr. Lynette Powell, former President of the NLMA, has been highlighting some of the serious issues facing patients and the system as a whole over the last few days.
Powell’s tweets describe full emergency rooms, patients awaiting virtual care and others facing serious health problems with no family doctor. She is urging communities to mobilize in order to bring about meaningful change.
Today in CentralNL:The ER is full of admitted patients. There is no space anywhere. Waiting room is cinched. Patients from 2 rural sites are waiting for virtual care. ER staff are demoralized. Patients are afraid. A system perilously close to collapse #nlpoli. #healthcarecrisis
— Lynette Powell (@tlynettepowell) April 12, 2022
Her tweets were raised in the House of Assembly by Opposition Leader David Brazil during Question Period yesterday.
Premier Furey says he is aware of Dr. Powell’s concerns and understands the pressures being faced by frontline health care workers. He says government is trying to be creative in not only meeting immediate needs, but long-term solutions to acute situations.
Today in CentralNL. A man is admitted with a GI bleed. He has been on blood thinners (warfarin) for many years. He always had a FD who monitored his INR levels but FD left 9 months ago and now he has no one. A very real consequence of our doctor shortage#nlpoli#healthcarecrisis
— Lynette Powell (@tlynettepowell) April 11, 2022