Urgent action required

Labrador West is still awaiting word on the future of health care in its communities.

Graham Letto and Jim Farrell, the mayors of Lab. City and Wabush respectively, recently presented a briefing paper entitled The Status of Health Care in Labrador West to Ross Wiseman, the provincial Minister of Health, but as of Aug. 13 still hadn't received a response.

"This is a very urgent issue that both councils are taking very seriously," Mr. Letto said in last week's council meeting. "I hope we can come to some good conclusion very soon."

In a separate interview with the Aurora, Mr. Letto explained the briefing paper was prepared as a result of discussions at the table of the local Physician Recruitment Advisory Committee, made up of representatives from the town, mining companies, Labrador Grenfell-Health, and government.

A copy of the paper was sent to Larry Bradley, chair of the regional health authority, on July 29, and a number of goals and objectives were identified for immediate action.

According to the Lab. City mayor, Labrador Grenfell Health has agreed to put every effort into obtaining replacements for two doctors who are planning to leave the area, Dr. Rizk and Dr. Ibrahim, and Dr. Okafor, who has already left town.

One physician has already announced his intention to set up a fee-for-service practice (a payment mechanism where the doctor is paid for each individual service rendered to a patient) in Lab. West - Dr. Ali Rastikerdar - and Mr. Letto noted the health authority has also recruited a anesthetist for Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital.

Labrador Grenfell Health, the letter went on to say, has also agreed to provide temporary relief from the Labrador Health Centre to assist with the local emergency department and in-patient care, and is also committed to increase the number of nurse practitioners for Lab. West.

The mayors also urged the health authority to develop a plan to improve obstetrical and gynecological services at the hospital, while assuming recruiting responsibility for dentists, and taking steps to implement a primary health care model in the area.

"LGH must ensure the design of the new hospital incorporates the physical space required for the delivery of primary health care," the mayors stated in the letter. "It must immediately develop and implement a strategy that will position it to have a primary health care team in place to coincide with the opening of the new hospital."

Mr. Letto noted IOC and Wabush Mines have also committed one house each to the health authority to assist with physician recruitment and the towns have committed to doing anything they can to help the process along.

The councils have requested a response from Labrador Grenfell Health within six weeks and according to Mr. Letto, the authority needs to present an action plan to the residents of Lab. West in a public meeting or in a community-wide communiquÉ as soon as possible.

"The towns of Labrador City and Wabush will continue to lobby government for our rightful entitlement to a first class health care system," the mayors finished. "Urgent action is required to address this crisis."