Big turnout needed

George Kean is asking every family in Labrador West to have at least one person at the Scout Lodge this Thursday night (8 pm).

Health Minister Jerome Kennedy is holding a public forum for the people of Labrador West to speak on health care issues in the region.

"This is a great opportunity to voice our dissatisfaction to the minister and our MHA, as well representatives from our health board- with regards to health care and air ambulance service," said the local union leader. "We need and want and air ambulance stationed in Wabush 24/7."

Kean said he appreciates there are a number of concerns in regards to health in the region, but he would like to see a priority and focus put on a couple specific of items.

"The thing is you can't have a big wish list and have government come through with the cheapest thing," he said. "I would like to concentrate on getting an air ambulance here and a CT scan. [In my opinion] these are the two most pertinent things because we have lost two residents of Labrador West, possibly more and it could be because of the lack of those services."

Barnes pleased

No one is more pleased than Labrador City Mayor Janice Barnes on the pending visit from the health minister this week.

Barnes said she was very encouraged when her council spoke with the minister back in November.

"We had, I believe, a very productive meeting," said Barnes. "We outlined some of the pressing health care issues affecting our residents such as air ambulance , lack of diagnostic equipment and a doctor shortage."

The Minister, she said, made a commitment to the residents of Labrador West to return and she is glad to see him follow through on that commitment.

"I encourage our residents to come out and voice their concerns about health care in Labrador West," she said of the public forum being held Thursday night. "We will have his ear--we need to capitalize on this opportunity. Our landscape is changing--we will have two new mines coming on stream and our population is increasing. The concerns of Labrador West are very real and we, as a community need to come together and voice them to the Minister."

Big number needed

A big turnout for the public forum is very important, said Kean.

"If people don't come out, Government might get a message that this isn't the big issue we are saying it is," he stressed. "Residents need to realize that the next time there is a delay in air ambulance, it could be your mother, your spouse, or your child. It's very important that the minister has taken his time to come in here for this session. And, even though they've already made their decision to put the air ambulance in Goose Bay, we want another here for Lab. West and I think that is possible. I think Minister Kennedy will listen, so it's important that we all have a voice."