NDP Admits Dartmouth General Expansion Won't Cut Wait Times or Increase Capacity

April 4, 2012

(Halifax, NS) Dartmouth East Liberal MLA Andrew Younger says the Dexter government has admitted the planned expansion at Dartmouth General will have no impact on wait times or the shortage of beds for the foreseeable future.
 
“Dartmouth General has experienced numerous code censuses and overcrowding for years,” says Younger. “We were originally told that the planned expansion would address these issues, but now we learn it will merely result in a shuffling of beds and not increased capacity.”
 
“While we’re hopeful the renovations will actually go ahead, the project is already delayed and in the meantime, there is no plan to address wait times at the hospital.”
 
Younger says it is unfortunate that the Dexter government has let the situation become critical without offering any real solutions.
 
“Between November 2010 and November 2011 there were 173 code census at the Dartmouth General,” says Younger. “There were as many as three code census a week because of the problem of chronic overcrowding that this government has ignored for years.”
 
Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says the experience at the Dartmouth General is a symptom of a larger problem.
 
“The Dexter government has slashed health care funding and taken resources away from the system,” says McNeil. “Under the Dexter government we’ve seen record ER closures, health care layoffs and increases in senior administration - clearly, its actions are hurting the quality of health care in Nova Scotia.”
 
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