Increasing calls to the maritime government to address staff shortages in health care

Tired staff are taking summer vacation to recover from a pandemic, forcing hospitals to close emergency rooms, and governments throughout the coastal states provide medical care. There are increasing calls for tackling the labor shortage in the sector. Related stress.

In New Brunswick, health workers due to poor working conditions, uncompetitive salaries and unreasonable workload, according to liberal health critic Jean-Claude D'Amours. Is away from the state.

Read more:Doctors N.B. Medical System "Sinks Faster Titanic"

On Prince Edward Island Due to a serious staff shortage at Alberton's Western Hospital, the emergency department may be closed if one is absent Green Party health critic Michelle Beaton says he is ill. In the state, she said, the difficulty of hiring and retaining medical staff has increased over the years.

"We need a very specific and strategic plan to ensure that the people working in the system are treated properly," Beaton said in a recent interview with her.

Last week, New Brunswick Health Minister Dorothy Shepherd recruited travel nurses from the state and covered retired nurses. Vacations that said they are encouraging re-entry into the workforce to do.

Since April 1, the Horizontal Health Network, the operator of the English Hospital in New Brunswick, has hired 11 retirees and about 180 nursing students this summer. did. Meanwhile, the Vitalite Health Network, the operator of the French hospital, has hired 200 nursing students.

"We are aware of the workforce challenges in the healthcare system and many long-term efforts are underway to improve the situation," New Brunswick Labor Minister Trevorholder said in a statement. It is stated in. “We have made great strides, but it will take time to fully address these challenges.”

Due to a shortage of staff, the emergency departments of some hospitals were intermittently closed overnight. The Horizon Network posted a tweet on June 24, stating that there was a serious staff shortage and warned that patients with non-urgent medical problems could face long wait times. Did.

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Tweet on Twitter Prompted a reaction.

"It's been like this for years and it's getting worse," writes one. "I'm afraid I can't survive when my illness gets worse," another said the government needs to spend part of its budget surplus on improving working conditions at health centers. Returning to the

P.E.I., Beaton said in the western part of the state, "basically there is no walk-in clinic, so there is no choice but to visit the emergency department." When her emergency room closed, she said, "People will travel for more than an hour to get to the next facility to get the care they need."

HealthPEI spokesman Jessica Bruce said a small staff at Western Hospital is working hard to prevent unplanned service interruptions. “We continue to consider different options to ensure that patients receive the care they need,” she said.

In Nova Scotia, state nurses have called for action to address the chronic staff shortages they say were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Nova Scotia Nurse Union, Registered Nurse has a vacancy of about 1,400 and associate nurses have 250 spots.

Read more:Waiting list for long-term care at N.S. At record level. Experts warn that it will only get worse

Nova Scotia's progressive conservative government promises to spend a lot of money on the state's sick health system in a campaign did. The $ 13.2 billion budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, filed in March, includes $ 5.7 billion in medical expenses, an increase of $ 413.4 million compared to last year's spending. However, Prime Minister Tim Houston warned residents not to expect rapid change.

Dr. Mark McMillan, Chairman of the New Brunswick Medical Society, fears increasing medical vacancies across Canada Said that it has been.

"We have seen this human health resource problem come to us for years," he said in a recent interview. "COVID-19 has certainly escalated the problem and revealed how vulnerable the overall health system, not just New Brunswick, was."

MacMillan said government action I said it is needed now, but it will need a long-term solution.

"What will happen to the patient demographics in 5, 10 and 15 years? What are the needs of this state? How many doctors are needed in northern New Brunswick, southern New Brunswick and east and west? How many nurses do you need for each unit? You need to be more proactive, "he said.

He said the health care staff were tired and needed to get out of the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The last two and a half years have been very stressful and I need to get these doctors and nurses to take leave for their mental health," he said. ..

This report by Canadian Press was first published on July 3, 2022.

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