N.B. Medical Society says primary care is ‘crumbling,’ as New Brunswickers without provider nears 180,000 – CTV
Aug. 20, 2024
New Brunswick Medical Society president Dr. Paula Keating says she’s not surprised that there’s overcrowding at the Everett Chalmers Hospital(opens in a new tab) in Fredericton, believing it’s in part due to the “crumbling” primary care system.
Emergency room physician Dr. Yogi Sehgal spoke out about the challenges health-care workers and patients are up against in the emergency department, including 10 to 12 hour wait times and patients on stretchers in hallways.
He told CTV Atlantic on any given day, most of the department is filled with people who are supposed to be in other units of the hospital, or in long-term care – making it difficult to treat people who have come to the ER for help.
Keating says particularly in the capital region, primary health care is struggling to keep up with demand – which causes some to turn to the ER.
“It’s no surprise to the New Brunswick Medical Society that this is what’s happening because of our crumbling primary care system and the issues that we’re seeing in our hospital emergency rooms, particularly in the capital region,” she said.
