New Brunswick’s new health minister has echoed the statement his predecessor made on the integration of the Extra Mural program with Tele-Care 811 and Ambulance New Brunswick under the management of Medavie: that this is not privatization.
At the first of nine community sessions across the province on primary health care in Saint John, Benoit Bourque told the approximately 40 people in attendance that the system as it exists is simply not sustainable.
“The influx of senior citizens coming into the health care system and into our society when we know that there will be close to double the number of people 65 years old and older, that is cause for concern,” says Bourque.
“This will not only maintain the service, it will enhance it and it will allow for not only better quality service for the person receiving it, it will have better service in terms of numbers. We will be able to serve more people at that same level of quality.”
The coalition for seniors and nursing home resident’s rights is holding a public presentation on Wednesday with former health minister and PC Rothesay MLA Ted Flemming called “Extra Mural Program on the chopping block” and the word privatization below. The Vitalite Health Network has also called this privatization.
“Honestly, I think it’s fear mongering and I think it’s lack of information,” says Bourque.
“This is why we’re doing this tour and we want to inform New Brunswickers as much as possible so they know what’s really going on.”
What is really going on, he says, is that this remains a fully public entity, publicly-funded with public employees which he says will not change with the management of Medavie.
About 40 people were in attended in Saint John at the first meeting. The sessions now move to Moncton.
