An 84-year-old man was left 12 hours in an ambulance outside the Carbonear General ER, waiting to see a doctor after suffering a medical emergency.

Harbour Main MHA Helen Conway Ottenheimer questioned Health Minister Tom Osborne in the House of Assembly yesterday after Osborne suggested that people who don’t have access to health care can still visit the ER.

“Obviously these waits are not acceptable,” says Osborne, which is why the province is working to recruit physicians and health care professionals, made changes to the Medical Act, and are introducing virtual care to help reduce wait times.