Officials in N.S. meet to discuss solutions to failing health-care system

In an attempt to fix failing the health-care system, the province, regulatory colleges, educational institutions, and other health-care providers sat face-to-face Tuesday to discuss a treatment plan.

“The value of these is just getting everybody in the same room to talk about the issues together.” says Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston.

Houston says one positive to celebrate is the increase in nursing applications since they begin fast-tracking the licensing process for nurses from outside the Province. He says 18,000 applications have come in from other jurisdictions.

“I think they have kind of processed and licensed 3,500 of them now so that’s new licenses to Nova Scotia,” the premier says.

“I think they’re a really good photo opportunity,” says the province’s NDP leader, Claudia Chender.

According to Chender, that’s the most that came from the meetings.

“When we talk to Nova Scotians around the province, they want access to primary care. They want to have a doctor’s office that they can call, they want a team of specialists that can follow them, they want access to family medicine,” says Chender.

This is the fourth health summit held in Nova Scotia this year. The opposition Liberals want to see this type of roundtable discussion to be expanded to other areas of concern.

“Our health-care system is in crisis, our housing situation is a crisis situation. Why is this government not sitting down and having the same conversations with all of the stakeholders in the housing industry as well to fix that particular crisis,” says Liberal MLA Kelly Reagan.

Unions also had a seat at the table.

“We are here to listen,” says the vice president of the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union, Hugh Gillis. “Our members have serious issues and concerns with regards to wages. We are facing high inflation, people are struggling to pay their mortgages, pay groceries, but those discussions will be held at the bargaining table, and we look forward to those discussions.”

Hugh Gillis says the two sides will be back at the table shortly. A day of action is planned for Wednesday when rallies in support of health-care administrators will take place at hospitals from Yarmouth to Cape Breton

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.