Population growth causing health-care capacity issues on P.E.I.

Capacity issues continue to plague the health-care system in Canada’s smallest province.

The P.E.I. Health Minister Mark McLean says it just can’t keep up with the province’s growing population.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown was over capacity again this week. In a release late Wednesday evening, Health PEI officials warned residents of long wait times for non-critical patients.

At the end of October, those same officials warned that emergency rooms across Prince Edward Island were over capacity. The province initiated level 3 measures to ease the burden, which can include moving patients between facilities.

On Wednesday, McLean admitted population growth is a major contributing factor.

“We have to acknowledge that our population is growing, so again, all of our services in government are being challenged by population growth,” said McLean.

The opposition took aim at the government Thursday, saying the lack of capacity is another example of not planning for population growth.

“You don’t invite them here without having access to the supports they need,” said Hal Perry, P.E.I. Liberal Leader. “Whether that’s housing, health care, mental health and addictions, housing, infrastructure. All these things have to be put in place.”

The government says it’s working to manage the impact of population growth on health care.

“I think everybody wants it to happen faster, but again, all we can do is bring down barriers and increase our pool of workforce through educational, or internationally educated health-care workers,” said McLean. “There’s lots of ways to do it, but obviously we want to do it as fast as possible.”

The currently tabled capital budget does include money for housing and health-care infrastructure development.

Government isn’t entertaining any reduction in immigration numbers. They say those new immigrants will be absolutely critical to solve problems in health care and housing.

For more Prince Edward Island news visit our dedicated provincial page.