FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2025
King government refusing to be transparent with Islanders as QEH Pediatrics Clinic struggles to provide services to Islanders
Charlottetown, PE – Last week Islanders were deeply concerned to learn that internal medicine doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) are limiting referrals because they cannot provide safe and sustainable wait times for treatment. Now Islanders are learning that the QEH pediatrics clinic is also restricting services, operating at only 60% of the required physician complement.
“The fact that Islanders had to learn about these critical healthcare issues through leaked documents and social media, rather than from our Minister of Health or Premier, is shameful,” said Matt MacFarlane, Third Party critic for Health. “Our healthcare system is in crisis, and the King government’s lack of transparency and accountability is unacceptable.”
The last communication from the Minister of Health to Islanders was an opinion piece in the Guardian highlighting record healthcare spending. However, this spending has not translated into improved access to care.
“The Minister talks about improvements in our healthcare system, but Islanders aren’t seeing or feeling those improvements,” said MacFarlane. “Last week Health PEI told Islanders that our system was overcapacity but failed to provide any details on what that actually means for Islanders needing care.”
MacFarlane is calling for immediate action and accountability from the provincial government.
“Islanders deserve leadership that is present, transparent, and committed to fixing our broken healthcare system,” he said. “It’s time for the Minister and Premier to come clean – no more ‘good news stories’ – Islanders need to know which healthcare services are limited and for how long. And how bad is it going to get before it gets better.”
Families, children, patients, and healthcare workers across the Island are feeling the weight of this crisis. The Green caucus is calling on government to immediately hold a public briefing on the true state of our healthcare system and to tell Islanders what the path forward looks like to ensure that care can be safely provided.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca