Health care reform plan comes with no major cuts, but Sackville ER will still see service cuts starting Friday
Health minister Dorothy Shephard released the long awaited health care reform plan on Wednesday (get the 16-page PDF here), and has promised that hospital closures are not on the agenda. Shephard said the plan is aiming to build a network of excellence in the province, and “every single hospital has a role to play in this network.”
Green Health critic and Memramcook-Tantramar MLA said she was pleased with some items in the plan, but felt there was no “bold action to resolve the reduction of services from our hospitals.” The Rural Health Action Group in Memramcook-Tantramar is considering the plan and will be issuing a response in the coming days. Tune in to Tantramar Report on Friday at 9am, noon and 4pm for more from Shephard and Mitton on health care.
Despite the lack of further cuts announced in the province’s health plan, the Sackville Memorial Hospital will still see a major reduction in ER services starting tomorrow. The Sackville ER will be reduced from its current 24 hour service (except on weekends) to eight hour service, remaining open from 8am to 4pm daily.
That change was announced by Horizon on October 29, and is due to a shortage of physicians and nurses to cover ER shifts. Christa Wheeler-Thorne, executive director of the Moncton and Sackville hospitals said the change was “temporary but is necessary to provide appropriate nursing resources for inpatient services.” The hospital director says the goal remains, “to provide emergency services at Horizon’s Sackville Memorial Hospital 24/7.”
Major municipal reform announcements coming today
The province is releasing its white paper on municipal reform today, and big changes are expected. Last week, local governance reform minister Daniel Allain told reporters that the municipal reform process would reduce the number of local government entities by more than one third, “from 340 to fewer than 100.” That will only be possible with amalgamations of some current municipal entities.
Vandalism and vaping spark door removals at TRHS
After repeated incidents of vandalism and students vaping in school bathrooms, Tantramar Regional High School made the decision Tuesday to remove the outer doors from student bathrooms, leaving only the interior stall doors for privacy. TRHS principal Susan Lafford wrote to the school community on Tuesday night, explaining that the doors would be removed instead of being simply being propped open, in order to discourage further vandalism and vaping. One parent has started a Change.org petition in protest of the decision.
COVID update: big jump in daily new cases
The province announced 82 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the largest daily new case count since mid-October. 14 of those cases are in Zone 1, with ten still of unknown origin, and four attributed to contact with previous cases.
Suzuki asks, “how the hell did we get into this mess?” tonight in hybrid virtual talk
Renowned environmentalist, scientist and broadcaster David Suzuki will be speaking at Mount Allison tonight. Suzuki’s talk is titled, “We boast of our intelligence. How the hell did we get into this mess?” and will be delivered virtually, though audiences can participate both online or in person at Convocation Hall. The event starts at 7pm tonight, and tickets are free. Try these links to register for the virtual event, or to request tickets to attend at Convocation Hall.
Bordertown 2021 kicks off with Open Sky bazaar and “One-Man Christmas Carol”
The town of Sackville’s Bordertown Festival starts today with two events scheduled.
From 2 to 6pm this afternoon, Open Sky Cooperative is hosting a Bazaar and Open Farm event with a variety of activities including a DIY Button Making Workshop, guided walks through their Mental Health Path on the Marsh, and live music from Harris McSheffrey and Friends.
At 8pm, Live Bait Theatre kicks off three nights of their production, “A One-Man Christmas Carol”, directed and performed by Ron Kelly Spurles. Tickets for tonight’s show are sold out, but there are still some available for Friday and Saturday.
For a full list of Bordertown 2021 events, check the town of Sackville website.
Fine Arts Show and Sale tomorrow
On Friday, Mount Allison Fine Arts students will be holding their first Show and Sale of the year from 9 am to 5 pm in the lobby of the Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts. The event happens twice a year, and is chance for students to show off and sell their original art and crafts. Masks are required and sales will be cash only.
