Liberal Opposition Health and Community Services Critic and MHA for the District of Humber Valley, Dwight Ball, says he  is disappointed that Health Minister Ross Wiseman has chosen to ignore the chronic shortage of nurses and other health care professionals in this province,  rather than taking more proactive steps to address the crisis.

 "I  had  hoped that recent events in the health care sector would impress upon the minister and government the need to tackle  the serious problems which exist in the system, Asays Ball.  AInstead, he and the government continue to fall into a defensive political position of trying to mislead  the people of this province that all is well.  They not only are failing to acknowledge the  urgency of this problem, but are not taking any immediate action to resolve the matter." 

 A private member=s motion put forward by Ball on Wednesday  called on members of the House of Assembly to support immediate and decisive action to deal with the recruitment and retention of health care professionals in this province.   The resolution noted that many health care professionals are overworked and in some cases have been denied vacation time, as well as being asked to work unreasonably long shifts. "I made these points in the resolution because I think it is important to put these facts before members of the Legislature and ask them to recognize what is really happening and that changes need to be made."

The resolution also noted that pay, in many cases, for health care professionals in this province are among the lowest,  if not the lowest in Canada. "While money is not the only consideration,  I think we need to realize that it is a factor and we have to be in a range where we are  somewhat competitive with other jurisdictions.

 "Unions and other professional associations have raised concerns about the current crisis and the possibility that it will further deteriorate in the future.  The minister did not like the word crisis, but I think if you also asked patients who are unable to get the medical services they need, the word crisis would come to mind for many of them. 

"It is clear that the current efforts to recruit and retain health care professionals in this province are not adequate to address the problem. Government has to go further, but comments from government members during the debate on this motion show that they are out of touch with the level of problems which exist in the health care system. 

"Notwithstanding the seriousness of this issue,  the minister chose to use the government majority in the House of Assembly to make major changes to the intent of the motion which I feel do not reflect the urgency of what is happening today in our health-care system."