The Executive Director of the Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents Rights is hearing nothing positive about the government’s plan to integrate Extra Mural, Telecare 811, and Ambulance NB.
Cecile Cassista attended the public information session hosted in Moncton last night with provincial Health Minister Benoit Bourque, and Medavie CEO Bernard Lord.
She disputes the claims of Bourque and Lord that Medavie’s management of Ambulance NB is going well.
“There’s no room in this province to privatize our healthcare, it’s well covered under the Canada Health Act,” says Cassista. “I’ve researched it, and I think they’re just manipulating and playing with words, we know that Ambulance New Brunswick is not working.”
She added giving management to a private company will make it harder for citizens to ensure accountability and transparency.
“Because we already tested the waters with respect to getting information from Medavie, and they basically said, and Lord actually confirmed that it is intellectual property rights so we’re going to have to go through all these stumbling blocks,” says Cassista.
She adds there’s no silver lining to this change.
“I have heard nothing positive, this is what’s so annoying, no one is actually saying “you know Cecile you’re out to lunch,” she fumes. “On social media they’re not saying that to me, and I’m posting lots, so basically, I’ll hear more because I will be travelling the province.”
When pressed, Bourque admitted the government could do this job, but Medavie can do it more effectively, and at a lower cost because of their proprietary technology.
In terms of cost, Medavie stands to gain $4.4 million every year for performing this service of managing and integrating Extra-Mural, Telecare 811, and ANB of which $1.8 million is “incentive bonuses” that can be acquired if they reach government mandated goals.
Cassista, meanwhile, maintains that $4.4 million dollars would be far more effective on the ground helping frontline workers and investing in these programs.
