The premier is addressing what he calls “deeply personal and often vicious commentary” directed at the health minister regarding parental access to a child’s healthcare information.
A recent memo sent out by NL Health Services through NL Schools indicated that parents require consent from their children to access their digital medical records if they are between the ages of 12 and 15.
Government has since clarified that this is not a new policy, but one that has been in place for decades.
Health Minister Lela Evans (VOCM News)
Tony Wakeham says there has been a lot of “hate” and “misinformation” directed at health minister Lela Evans as a result of the situation.
He says public officials must always be held accountable for their actions, but “accountability never justifies personal attacks, misinformation, or abuse.”
The premier says much of what was being said has been based on the “false claim” that she “created or imposed the policy,” when she did not.
He says there is “no place for hate in Newfoundland and Labrador,” and minister Evans has been the subject of hate. Wakeham says Evans is actually in a position to fix the policy, and a review is currently ongoing on that front.
