Government ignoring Notre Dame request for help to hire anesthesiologists: NDP

QUEEN’s PARK — Guy Bourgouin, MPP for Mushkegowuk—James Bay, said it is appalling that the Ford government has ignored an application seeking help to bring more anesthesiologists to the area.

The application was sent in March 2021 by Hearst’s Notre Dame Hospital and the communities of Kapuskasing and Cochrane.

“People in Cochrane, Kapuskasing and Hearst face frightening wait times as our health workers are stretched ever thinner,” said Bourgouin. “Notre Dame Hospital has just one anesthesiologist – one person to support surgeries and tend to ER patients.

“A year and a half has gone by, yet the Ministry of Health refuses to give our communities an answer.”

After the application for provincial assistance by Notre Dame’s CEO Liza Fortier went unanswered, Bourgouin’s office sent two follow-up letters to the Ministry of Health, but has received no reply.

“Our hospitals are in crisis,” said Bourgouin. “Funding to bring additional anesthesiologists to our region will help prevent further closures of our emergency rooms. It is dangerous and unacceptable for the government to ignore these applications.”