Media Release: NSGEU President asks Premier to meet him at Emergency Department to see the crisis for himself

NSGEU President Jason MacLean asks Stephen McNeil to meet him at the Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department today, or any day, so he can see the crisis in health care first hand.

“If the Premier can schedule a trip all the way to China to pursue economic opportunities, his words not mine, I would think he could make time to travel across town to pursue real solutions to a health care crisis hurting people here at home,” says MacLean.

“Yesterday Stephen McNeil yet again denied the crisis in health care. Perhaps it’s time he join me on a tour of HI and hear from those on the front line who are doing their honest best to work in these difficult conditions and talk directly to those patients and their families who are left alone in hallways or crammed into family rooms with a cell phone number to call a nurse if they need one.”

Global News and CBC News both ran stories highlighting the fact that sick people are waiting up to four days to be admitted to a hospital bed. Here are links to other stories that have appeared this week on the crisis in health care:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1543701-sixth-trip-to-er-reveals-colon-cancer-woman-dies-next-day

http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1543675-schneidereit-why-are-there-no-doctors-on-the-health-authority-board

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/family-doctors-health-care-the-search-pay-models-1.4520132

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/topic/Tag/The%20Search

https://globalnews.ca/news/4012161/ns-unions-launch-campaigns-against-mcneil/

“I’m asking Premier McNeil to join me at the Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department so he can see what’s happening. The health care crisis happening here at home needs action today,” says MacLean.

“Premier I’ll clear my schedule to be there. Will you?”

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotians count on every day.

For more information, please contact:

Lucas Wide

NSGEU Communications Officer

902-497-5010 (cell)

902-424-4063 (office) 877-556.7438 (toll free) lwide@nsgeu.ca