Keeping rural emergency rooms open still an issue for New Brunswick voters

The mayor of Sackville, N.B., says his community is still concerned about the future of its hospital.

“There’s shared concern that this is just step one,” John Higham says, “that it will come back again.”

In February, the New Brunswick government announced a plan that would see reduced services at Sackville Memorial Hospital and five others in the province.

But protests followed and that plan was put on hold.

On the campaign trail, New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs says reducing services at emergency rooms is now completely off the table.

“I think it was misguided,” he told reporters Friday.

Still, Higham worries the plan isn’t gone for good — “that the data we can’t see has somebody somewhere convinced that this is the right thing to do.”

2:06 Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins residents say they intend to keep the riding blue

Higham says the plan — which would’ve seen the Sackville emergency room close overnight as well as a reduction in surgery and other care alterations — would’ve impacted the welfare of residents and the local economy.

“In essence, it was seen as a real threat to the future,” he said.

He says people would be more hesitant to move to the area or attend nearby Mount Allison University if they weren’t guaranteed emergency care 24/7.

Higgs isn’t the only party leader in the province saying the option is off the table – in fact, all four main party leaders say they don’t support rural ER closures.

“It was me who negotiated that with Blaine Higgs during the budget discussions,” says Green Leader David Coon, “to take it permanently off the table.”

“I’m not naive,” says Peoples Alliance Leader Kris Austin. “I do know there has to be some reform of health care, but in terms of closures of ERs in rural areas, that’s not something we supported in the past and it’s not something we’re going to support going forward.”

Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers said ER changes aren’t an option “without meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including front-line workers, medical professionals and communities.”

1:42 No party leaders plan on closing ER facilities in rural areas

They’re sentiments all parties seem to echo.

That’s the preferred course, according to New Brunswick Medical Society president Dr. Chris Goodyear.

“We need government, whichever government ends up being in power after this election, to really sit down and listen,” Goodyear says.

Goodyear says what the province really needs is a thorough health-care plan for the next decade.