Blaine Higgs speaks with reporters on August 17, 2020, after meeting with the deputy governor and asking her to dissolve the legislature. (Photo: CPAC Screen)
The leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in New Brunswick has confirmed that it will not shut down or reduce operating hours in the district’s emergency rooms.
Blaine Higgs spoke outside Perth Andover Hospital, one of the six hospitals at risk of missing out on emergency medical services overnight in the party’s pre-health care plan.
“But how do we run hospitals together, how do we view the demographics that we have and the fact that we have 30% maybe 40% of elderly people in hospitals. We have a lot of elderly people who have moved to the appropriate levels of care and we did this during COVID to free ourselves and prepare in case it spreads in Our boycott, as happened in other provinces. “
But Higgs says we still face challenges over the next 20 years about the current infrastructure shortage and healthcare providers.
He says he is committed to reaching out to health professionals and the community to improve the standard of care for elderly people in hospitals.
If re-elected, the Progressive Conservative Party promises to provide seniors with high-dose flu vaccines free of charge.
As a county with the highest percentage of elderly residents, Higgs says, this will help keep our seniors safe and relieve stress on our healthcare system.
“The higher dose of antigen in the vaccine gives people over the age of 65 a better immune response and thus better protection against influenza. Older adults are also more likely to have other medical conditions.”
Higgs says another 8 provinces and territories have already introduced a high-antigen vaccine, including the other three Atlantic provinces and Ontario.
Last spring, his government also committed to creating New Brunswick’s first vaccination registry, which has become even more important in light of the COVID pandemic.
The Computer Party also announced its commitment to continuing to work with the district pharmacists.
Higgs says their spring budget included expanding pharmacists’ services so that patients can access the services they need without having to visit a doctor.
“While the pandemic is not over yet, some early lessons are clear: Pharmacy professionals are important to our healthcare system. As we strive to modernize our healthcare system, pharmacists must be part of that change,” he says.
The Higgs government is committed to creating a working group between the New Brunswick government and the New Brunswick Pharmacist Association.
Higgs says the group’s mission will be to identify new ways to work together to improve access to healthcare for all citizens.
