Health Minister Tom Osborne has called in the Comptroller General to examine the contract with Canadian Health Labs for the provision of travel nurses.
Members of the RNU are rallying at Confederation Building today, urging government to call in the AG to look at the contract, how the money was spent and where it went.
The contract cost NL taxpayers some $35 million over a five-month period according to a recent Globe and Mail investigative report. Minister Osborne says he shares many of the concerns raised by the Registered Nurses Union and others.
“The amount paid to agencies is considerably higher than we would pay to our permanent nursing staff. That money can be used on other areas of health care delivery,” says Osborne, who is concerned about the expenditure and its impact on the morale of nurses in the public system.
Osborne says calling in the Comptroller General is the first step.
“The Comptroller General…is well positioned and well-equipped to…be able to carry out this review,” says Osborne.
The findings will be made available to the public.