GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L. — Grand Falls-Windsor town council took to the streets Thursday to protest the announced reduction of non-urgent laboratory services at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre.
Each council member held a sign as they stood along Union Street in front of the hospital and, in an indication of support for their cause, each car that passed the group sounded its horn.
Late last month, Central Health announced there had been a request for proposals for new laboratory equipment for the James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre in Gander to replace aging equipment.
The provincial health body also announced the non-urgent blood samples collected at rural facilities would be directed to the hospital in Gander. Central Health assured people there would be no job losses or laboratory closures because of this decision.
“This hospital was built with funds deducted from mill workers’ wages and residents in this community were promised, more than a decade ago, that Grand Falls-Windsor would be the hub for health care when the regional school board office was established in Gander,” said Grand Falls-Windsor Coun. Holly Dwyer. “Where is that promise today?”
Among the concerns of the Grand Falls-Wiindsor council is the need to courier samples extra sitances to Gander, and that any insistemce there will be no job losses as a result of the moves seems to be at odds with the workload being reduced by 50 per cent at the local facility.
A new lab is scheduled to be built at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in the next couple of months, according to the town, and those efforts would need to be duplicated in Gander.
"While we are not opposed to consolidation and agree that efficiencies in health care must be made, in 2018 the RegIonal Health Authority External Review recommended that Central Health should establish 'evidence-based protocol for any changes to clinical services,'” said Dwyer. “Where is the evidence that this move to Gander will result in greater efficiencies than if it were here?"
Nicholas Mercer is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Central Newfoundland for SaltWire Network.
