Opposition urges government to improve access to health care for rural P.E.I.

The Official Opposition says government needs to do more to make sure Islanders in rural communities have access to adequate health care — especially as the province plans to close its COVID-19 cough and fever clinics. 

Green MLA Trish Altass raised the issue during question period Tuesday. On Monday, Health P.E.I. announced it will close its two cough and fever clinics in Charlottetown and Slemon Park at the end of March.

Once those clinics close, routine care for Islanders with respiratory illness will now transition back to family physician offices and walk-in clinics, a written release said. 

Altass said when she heard the clinics would be closing, she checked to see when the walk-in clinic in Summerside would be holding clinics — only to discover there aren't any scheduled for this week. 

"How are folks in the Summerside area supposed to take your advice and go to a walk-in clinic when needed if the walk-in clinic isn't even open?" Altass said. 

Health Minister Ernie Hudson said the decision to close the cough and fever clinic was made by physicians who feel now is the right time to do so, and he has confidence in that decision. 

Altass said closures and a lack of physician coverage at the Summerside walk-in clinic are not a new problem and one government hasn't been able to address in years. She said it's a consistent problem in rural communities on P.E.I., including those within Hudson's district, which is home to the Western Hospital in Alberton.

Western Hospital's collaborative emergency centre was closed for the night on Friday due to a temporary lack of staffing. The hospital has been plagued by staff shortages and has had to shut down its emergency centre multiple times in recent months.

"Are you asking our constituents to drive to Charlottetown to receive basic health care?" Altass asked.

Hudson said this year's budget allows for more staff to address coverage issues at Western Hospital.

"There are an additional 5.1 FTE nursing positions at Western Hospital. So maybe the opposition, if they want us to get moving forward on these initatives, should look at passing the budget," Hudson said. 

More work to be done 

Green MLA Michele Beaton also had questions for Hudson about what efforts have been made to create more walk-in clinic hours, and make sure those clinics have enough staff to stay open. 

"Has there been an increase in family physicians and walk-in hours anywhere in this province that you haven't shared with Islanders?" Beaton said. 

"Rural Islanders are being underserved for heath care, which is starting to look like the norm," she said. "How can you justify the lack of access to health-care services in rural P.E.I.?" 

Hudson acknowledged that there are additional needs across the province, especially when it comes to accessing primary care. He said that's why the province has created other options, like virtual health care and services through 811. 

"We are moving forward compared to what the previous administration had done. We are looking at initiatives, we look at the recruitment that has taken place," Hudson said. 

"As minister, I will be the first to admit that we have a lot more work to do and I look forward to doing that work." 

Care for people with chronic conditions 

Beaton said she's heard from a number of people on the Island without a family doctor who have to use an emergency department to get care.

She said one of her constituents was in need of cancer treatment and without a family doctor they had to go see an emergency room physician to get a referral to a specialist. 

"This isn't working for anybody. We have a patient registry nearing 23,000 Islanders, there are Islanders on that list whose health is deteriorating every single day," Beaton said.

She asked the health minister if he would provide ER doctors the ability to flag patients with complex conditions who immediately need access to primary-care providers, so the patient registry can prioritize people with the greatest needs. 

In a statement to CBC News, Health P.E.I. said currently the patient registry is triaged on a first on, first off basis. Health P.E.I. is "evaluating a process where patients with chronic or complex conditions could [be] identified as being in need of a primary care provider sooner" and that criteria will be assessed from ethical and operational lenses. 

Following question period, Beaton also put forward a motion for debate calling on government to improve access to ambulance services on P.E.I. — which renewed the Green Party's calls for government to increase wages for paramedics and explore transitioning to a public ambulance service on the Island.