Access to primary care, prescriptions, Fluzone - QP
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : I'd like to share a few stories with the Premier of people attempting to access health care in this province.
A Dartmouth resident shared with us recently: I've had a number of medical issues over the last year. My old walk-in clinic has closed, and the only other ones near me have very limited hours and book fully up early in the day. To get prescriptions or refill them, I've had to use getmaple.ca and pay out of pocket. Each prescription I need must be done in a separate paid appointment.
What would the Premier say to this person who has to pay a private company each time they need to refill a prescription?
THE PREMIER « » : The stories of access to care are certainly the stories that move me to get up every day and keep moving forward. We know there's a lot of work to do in making sure that Nova Scotians can access care.
I want to remind the member that we have Virtual Care NS. It's provided by the Province. We have walk-in clinics. We have a lot of various - I would encourage the members here to help get that message out. If that message is not out to Nova Scotians, that's something we can do together. We can get together and get behind Nova Scotians and let them know the avenues that are there. We need more avenues, for sure we do, and we are committed to opening up more avenues. We are focused on access to care.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : These are stories of constituents whom we've already told about Virtual Care NS, whom we've told about walk-in clinics, and who cannot access care in that way.
I'd like to share another message from Cyr Mishkin in Dartmouth, who contacted us to say: We've been waiting for a family doctor for almost two years. We had one for a month, and then she moved out of the province. With a two-year-old, our only option has been walk-in clinics and three- to four-hour waits. This is nuts. This is not the Canada I want to bring my daughter up in. We are becoming like the States, and that is tragic.
How long will Cyr and their family have to wait before they get a family doctor?
THE PREMIER « » : This is an issue, of course, we talk about a lot in this Chamber, and the recruitment efforts, the retention efforts. We recruited 162 doctors this year. That's a record number of doctors. We've offered jobs to all the nursing students, added nursing seats. We will continue to make sure that we add to and support those health care professionals we have in this province. They work incredibly hard and provide an incredible level of care to Nova Scotians.
There is a lot of work to do. There is no question about that. We're committed to doing it for Cyr and for every single Nova Scotian.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Accessing health care isn't the only thing people are having to pay for. Betty Josey is a resident of Eastern Passage who's trying to stay as healthy as possible and to keep those around her safe. She is 76. She says: I've never had the high-dose flu shot but thought it would be prudent this year to get one, so I did, at a cost to me of $99.43. As you know, seniors are only covered for this if they live in a facility. I guess the rest of us don't count. We are still vulnerable, and many of us visit friends in these places.
When she emailed her government MLA to ask whether the Province would chip in to cover the cost of the high-dose flu vaccine, she received no assistance or adequate response. What is the Premier's response to Betty and others in her position who are asking government to cover the cost of the high-dose flu vaccine here as they do in almost every other province?
THE PREMIER « » : I want to assure the member and all Nova Scotians that the regular dose is effective. There's a use for the high dose for sure. In this province, that is available in certain settings, but we'll continue to look at ways that that can or should be expanded. We're constantly reviewing the medications, the care that's provided to Nova Scotians. We'll continue to do that.