PC MLA takes government to task over walk-in access in eastern P.E.I.
Backbench PC MLA Sidney MacEwen took his authorities’s well being minister to job Tuesday over a scarcity of entry to walk-in clinics in japanese P.E.I., whereas suggesting the province comply with Nova Scotia’s lead with a pilot program to make use of pharmacists as a part of a major care crew.
MacEwen famous the one walk-in clinic that operates east of Stratford — an space encompassing the whole thing of Kings County and a portion of Queens — is in Morell, the place a nurse practitioner operates a clinic that runs as soon as every week for 3 hours each Wednesday morning.
Outdoors these hours, residents who want care who do not have a household care supplier need to go to the emergency room in Montague or head to walk-in clinics in Stratford or Charlottetown.
“We all know in regards to the messaging and the way necessary it’s to not tie up the Montague ER with non-emergency circumstances,” MacEwen famous throughout query interval.
“As all the time, in japanese P.E.I., we’re anticipated to drive to Charlottetown to walk-in clinics which can be already full by the point we get there.
This authorities has finished a great job of recruiting docs, however we will not sustain,.— PC MLA Sidney MacEwen
“Do you’re feeling that there is ample walk-in clinic time east of Stratford?” he requested Well being Minister Ernie Hudson.
Hudson supplied a brief recollection in regards to the time he went to Morell to talk with MacEwen and others about the issue, then diverged into speaking in regards to the newest COVID flare-up earlier than lastly addressing MacEwen’s query.
“I must agree with the member that, sure, we’ve got to do higher, completely, and to work with the group and work with the member on this.”
“The reply, we all know, is not any,” got here the retort from MacEwen, the remainder of his response drowned out by the thumping of desks by members of all three events.
Pitch to incorporate pharmacists
MacEwen has been campaigning for higher walk-in entry for Morell since 2007, eight years earlier than he was first elected to characterize the district.
His pitch Tuesday was for a brand new mannequin of care being piloted in Nova Scotia.
That mannequin entails pharmacists working with nurse practitioners to supply major care.
Two such clinics are being operated in Nova Scotia by Lawtons Medicine.
P.E.I. is transferring ahead with a unique mannequin of collaborative care, with authorities promising to have 5 medical houses operational by the tip of March 2022.
These medical houses are supposed to incorporate a number of care suppliers working collectively together with docs, nurse practitioners, counsellors, dietitians and social employees.
Via using medical houses, the province has stated it hopes to chop the variety of individuals on the ready record for a major care supplier in half inside two years.
As of Tuesday there have been 22,585 individuals on the province’s affected person registry — about one in seven Island residents. Of the individuals on the registry, 401 have a major care supplier and are requesting a brand new one.
Hudson refused to supply a definitive response to MacEwen’s proposal — however stated he is “greater than keen to have a look at any initiatives that can profit Islanders” if it could slot in with the province’s plan for medical houses and neighbourhoods.
In an interview after query interval, MacEwen gave authorities credit score for hiring extra docs — however famous the variety of Islanders ready for a household care supplier is not shrinking.
“This authorities has finished a great job of recruiting docs, however we will not sustain,” he stated. “We’re not getting sufficient to get the affected person registry down as a result of we’re dropping docs which can be retiring.”
