MLA Speaks Out On Doctor Protest At Fundy Health Centre

The people of Charlotte County are taking another hit to healthcare.


As of November 30th, four doctors from the Fundy Health Centre in Blacks Harbour will be walking out in protest against a policy that charges the doctors $1.50 per outpatient visit.

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet tells Tide News the doctors received a letter from the Horizon Health Network which gave them a "take it or leave it" option. He says, "I think it would have been an opportune time for them to sit down with all of the doctors that work in that facility, and say 'Here's what's happened over the past number of years, and here is what we have to do,  how can we work together on this?' But instead, 'this is it, bottom line, we're going to start collecting this fee', and the doctors are rightfully very upset about it."

Doucet says there are about 30 thousand people per year that use the facility. He says many residents do not have family doctors. He adds there are also many transit workers for the fish plants, they may be from Newfoundland, Romania, or the Phillipines, but they've relied on this service that has been open to them for a number of years. He says everyone will now be cut off.   Doucet wants Health Minister Ted Flemming to intervene and assure the people of Blacks Harbour that outpatient care will continue at the Fundy Health Centre. He adds that a long discussion is needed between the doctors and Horizon to settle this matter.