May 1, 1997
(Health)

The following statement was issued today by Lloyd Matthews, Minister of Health. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Provincial Health Care Forum

Mr. Speaker, health care delivery is the highest priority of the people of this province and it is the highest priority of the government of this province. I stand today to provide details of the upcoming provincial health forum announced by the premier last week. This forum is intended to address specific problems which have stressed the system and the clients who need, expect and deserve quality health care.

The provincial Health Forum will serve several important functions. It will discuss specific problems in the system today and seek input which can be used to reduce or eliminate these problems. It will allow front- line health care providers the opportunity to voice their concerns and offer suggestions for improvement to health care provision in Newfoundland and Labrador. It will provide advice on how new or reallocated funding from this year's health budget can be best used to meet the health care needs of the people of the province. It will not address all areas of health care delivery at one time, but it will address major issues such as the reorganization of primary health care. It will also discuss many concerns of front-line workers and clients.

Mr. Speaker, the health forum will take place on May 9 and 10, 1997 at the Littledale Conference Centre in St. John's. The forum will have representation from health care providers, front-line workers and the general public to provide frank and substantive input which will result in optimal solutions. Since it would be impractical, in this forum, to include every person and group associated with health care, we will continue to encourage ongoing input from all health care providers throughout the province.

We recognize the merit of their advice and are prepared to meet with these people and other representatives of front-line workers and the general public to productively meet the challenges we are facing today. I am also pleased that the Nurses Union and the Medical Association have recognized the premier's role in the federal government's announcement this week that there will be an increase in the cash floor of the Canada Health and Social Transfer. The extra $66 million that this will mean to our province is critical, and adds value to the forum process.

Delegates to the forum include: representatives of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union; NAPE; Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association; CUPE; Allied Health; PAIRN; the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador; the medical school at Memorial University; institutional and community health boards; and health care consumers from the general public. These qualified and capable people are volunteering their time and expertise to work, in partnership with government, towards positive outcomes for the problems we have identified. Government appreciates their participation in this process and we expect to receive positive feedback. It reinforces government's commitment to provide quality health care services to people throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and to improving the system, whenever necessary and possible.

The health care system in this province today is fundamentally sound and government is committed to improving that system to the extent possible. Mr. Speaker, in this year's budget, we allocated funding for a number of improvements. We approved a $2.6 million increase for salaried rural doctors. We are providing $400,000 to operate a dialysis program in central Newfoundland. We have also committed funding to update the programming documents and the redesign of the James Paton expansion as per the recommendations of the central health services review along with the other work which will be done this year. In addition, work has commenced on the redevelopment of Melville Hospital, Goose Bay, preliminary work will be carried out for the planning of health facilities in Bonne Bay and Stephenville, subject to a review in Western Newfoundland. Mr. Speaker, $2.5 million is allocated to institutional boards for the purchase of medical equipment. Throughout this year, health boards and their foundations, will be asked to match that government contribution for a total of $5 million for the purchase of capital equipment.

Mr. Speaker, government is working for and with the people of this province. At the conclusion of this forum, we will inform the people of the province of its outcome. I expect, with the help of the input of these people, who are directly associated with health care delivery, that government will be able to continue providing the best possible health care services to all citizens of this province.