The MHA for Labrador West is questioning the province’s decision to expand same-day air travel cardiac catheter services.
Our government has a plan for health care, and it includes creative solutions. Solutions like same-day fly-in/fly-out cardiac care service, to reduce wait times.
Thank you to the team making this happen – with Dr. Connors, @EasternHealthNL, Min. Osborne, and @HCS_GovNL. pic.twitter.com/vCscsgqbYJ
— Andrew Furey (@FureyAndrew) January 31, 2023
Jordan Brown says the announcement raises more questions than it answers. He wants to know how nurses are going to be made available to accompany patients, and how the air ambulance portion of the program will work.
Brown says Lab West has two nurses per shift running a floor in the hospital. He cites a recent case involving a patient who required cardiac catheterization; Brown told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly they took a nurse from the hospital which is already short-staffed, to go with the patient for 21 hours.
In the meantime, Brown says there are challenges in patients getting timely, reliable access to air ambulance services. He’s expressing frustration that the province has yet to secure a third, full-time air ambulance. Instead, says Brown government has awarded a standby contract to a company in addition to the province’s two existing air ambulances. He says having a private plane on standby is not the same as an additional full-time, trained team.
