A public advocacy organization is speaking out about the sweeping health care changes announced last week.
The changes came days after the death of a man who was waiting in an emergency department in Fredericton.
Premier Blaine Higgs moved the health minister to a new portfolio, fired Horizon Health’s new CEO, and replaced the board members from the two regional health authorities with trustees.
In a statement on Friday, the New Brunswick Health Coalition described the changes as “anti-democratic reforms.”
“The system has been starved of resources for years, simply replacing politicians and consolidating decision-making power is not a long-term plan for sustainability,” said the coalition, which represents workers in the health care and long-term care sectors as well as community organizations.
Coalition members said they are concerned about the recent structural changes and want their voices to be heard on the solutions to the health care crisis.
They said the premier has all but ignored the biggest problem in the health care system — a lack of workers.
“Health care was operating at a deficit in personnel before the pandemic and has gotten much worse resulting in a crisis situation,” said the statement.
The coalition has put forward several recommendations to the province, calling on them to:
- Use part of the budget surplus for recruitment and retention of health care workers
- Guarantee money for health care will be spent on health care
- Include workers and community organizations as part of the solution
- Make a commitment that privatization will not be part of the changes
- Reinstate the New Brunswick Employment Insurance Connect program
- Immediately reinstate masking protocols
“Money needs to be spent on the system, specifically on recruitment and retention to properly ensure the best care is delivered,” said the coalition.
