Statement from Ms. Trish Altass, MLA for District 23, Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke and Official Opposition Critic for Health and Wellness, and Honourable Peter Bevan Baker, MLA for District 17 New Haven-Rocky Point and Leader of the Official Opposition, on implementing the rural health hub model
Accessible, appropriate healthcare is of critical concern for Islanders. A key commitment by the Green caucus during the last election was to bring the rural health care hub model to Prince Edward Island. We remain committed to establishing rural health care hubs where they are most needed.
During budget consultations, the Official Opposition caucus put forward a request to government to establish a rural health hub model for Prince Edward Island. As indicated in our election platform, we envision a health hub for eastern PEI and a second hub for western PEI. These hubs are not about reducing services. It is about expanding accessibility for important lifesaving and life improving health services by bringing them close to where Islanders live.
We are pleased to see that government has seen the wisdom of this and are committing dollars towards bringing critical health services to rural areas of PEI. This $5M investment is not about bricks and mortar. Rather, it is for establishing, in consultation with community members and healthcare providers, critical health services in rural areas and augmenting any services that may currently exist in rural areas. Done correctly, it will enhance service integration by co-locating a broad range of services including diagnosis, treatment, and support for managing chronic illnesses and supporting well-being.
Lastly, we would like to acknowledge that any plans to redistribute primary care services from the clinic in Crapaud to Cornwall were in no way part of our proposal. This type of urbanization of services would not be in keeping with the concept of rural health hubs or our Party’s commitment to maintain and enhance local access to primary health care for all Islanders.
Trish Altass, MLA
Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke
Honourable Peter Bevan-Baker, MLA
New Haven-Rocky Point
December 10, 2019