Urgent-care clinic no substitute for full-time ER, say Whitbourne protesters

CBC News | Posted: March 14, 2023 7:48 PM | Last Updated: March 14, 2023

Media | The fight for Whitbourne ER comes to St. John's

Caption: They took a bus from Whitbourne to St. John’s to make their voices heard. Dozens of people from the Whitbourne area protested in front of Confederation Building against the closure of a local 24-hour Emergency Room, and its replacement with a part-time Urgent Care Clinic.

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More than 100 people from the Whitbourne area rented a bus and braved freezing temperatures to send a message about emergency room services.

"We're not satisfied with urgent care!" yelled protest organizer Andrew Pretty, to roaring cheers from the crowd. "We're not going to stop. We're not going to back down."

A 24/7 emergency room in the community has been shut down since June. In its place, the Newfoundland and Labrador government has opened an urgent-care clinic that operates three days a week during business hours.

"When someone's life is at risk, three minutes can be life or death," said protester Elaine Thorne of Markland. "And if you can't get in there before four, you're pretty much screwed."

Urgent-care clinic no substitute for full-time ER, say Whitbourne protesters

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