Eddie Joyce claims the province is breaking promises made to long-term care patients in Corner Brook.
The Independent MHA says about 40 seniors at the old Western Memorial Hospital were told they would be transferred to the new hospital and long-term care facility in the west coast city.
But Joyce says those patients recently received a letter detailing an upsetting change of plans.
“Family members are now being told that their loved ones will be moved throughout the western region, to a long-term care facility, wherever the next available bed is,” Joyce told the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
“I ask the minister: How can your government justify this very heartless decision, and if this is the way we should treat seniors and the gratitude we should give them?”
Health Minister Tom Osborne said he will look into the situation, but made it clear the decision didn’t come from his office.
“Government has not justified this because this was not a direction of government,” he said. “We have asked the provincial health authority to look to see if there are solutions as opposed to the solution that they have recommended or suggested. We are awaiting an answer from the provincial health authority and I’ll be happy to update the member as I get answers.”
Meanwhile, Osborne says he’s also looking into another issue involving EEGs, or electroencephalograms, which measure brain health.
West coast patients have been told they have to travel to Grand Falls-Windsor for their appointments, some of which are at 8:15 a.m., requiring them to drive several hours overnight to make it on time.
Osborne says the situation arose due to an “unexpected vacancy,” or loss of the technician in the region.
The PC Opposition says it would make more sense for the technician in central to travel to the west coast a couple of days a week to see patients until a replacement can be found.
Osborne called that “not a bad suggestion.”