Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services says they do not have the capacity to run two cardiac cath labs in the province.
Some people on the west coast are complaining that, despite having the new regional hospital in Corner Brook, they have to go to St. John’s to access diagnostic services such as a dye test.
Dr. Pat Parfrey, the CEO of NLHS, says they have only enough specialized personnel to have one such facility in the province – in St. John’s. Heart Force One, an air service, transports patients to and from other parts of the province.
He says sometimes the beds at the Health Sciences may be full, so patients end up being put on a waitlist, something which he calls unfortunate but is the only option.
