THINKING OUT LOUD WITH SHELDON MacLEOD: Claudia Chender and Collaborative Emergency Centres
“One in ten Nova Scotians don't have a family doctor as the wait list has grown to over 100-thousand. Emergency Rooms are at and sometimes over their capacity. And the health care system is described as being in crisis with workers facing burnout from the pandemic and from chronic under staffing. While the Nova Scotia government works to make more seats for nursing students and other more long-term solutions, some are revisiting the idea of more Collaborative Emergency Centres. The one-term NDP Government under Darrell Dexter launched several of the centres where nurses and paramedics provide walkin and emergency room services with doctors available for consultation. The Auditor General applauded the programs saying they offered both primary and emergency care and reduced the number of unexpected closures. And Claudia Chender says it was only for partisan reasons that the former Liberal Government chose not to open more of them. The current NDP Leader says it's not going to solve all of our problems, but it should at least be something the Tim Houston Government should be exploring.”
