Liberal Leader John Hogan, PC Leader Tony Wakeham, NDP Leader Jim Dinn (VOCM News)
None of the three political leaders see anything out of sorts with their promises on health care – even though the people who manage the system just roll their eyes at some of the things being thrown out.
NL Health Services has not been consulted on any of the health care promises being made by the political parties to see if they’re doable, said the chair of its board of trustees, Bob Andrews.
Tens of millions of dollars in commitments from each party are commonplace, everything from more health care workers and more MRIs to an expansion of air ambulance, more mini hospitals and more 24/7 emergency rooms.
NLHS Board Chair Bob Andrews and CEO Dr. Pat Parfrey. (VOCM News)
Leaders Respond
Liberal John Hogan says it’s government that calls the shots on policy.
“So as we continue to hear things that’s important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I think it’s incumbent on us as elected officials and leaders to make those decisions about where policies and where funding needs to be delivered and then we certainly provide NLHS with the appropriate funding and ask them to deliver on those policies.”
PC Tony Wakeham sees the people who work in the field as the experts – not the managers.
“My consultation has been with the people that actually work in the system, going out community by community and talking to the people that work in those facilities, talking to the people that use those facilities, getting ideas from the ground up, and that’s exactly how I’m going to build up our health care system so it’s no longer the worst in Canada.”
NDP Jim Dinn says it doesn’t make a lot of sense in consulting with NLHS as they do not listen to him.
“I can’t see if we can find a way, if we were presenting a plan to increase the number of health care workers in a budget that’s balanced – I can’t see anyone, I would hope the NLHS would not be opposed to it. If they are, well we’ve got a bigger problem.”