As N.L. touts better heart health outcomes, this MHA says it's a well-scripted distraction

As Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister Tom Osborne touts improved health outcomes in heart and stroke care in the province, a Labrador MHA calls it a well-scripted distraction from the real crisis facing nurses and residents.

At a news conference Wednesday, Osborne cited shorter hospital stays for patients with blood clots from strokes who receive endovascular thrombectomy — a surgical procedure introduced in the province in 2022.

Research from the American Heart Association shows that endovascular thrombectomy shortens hospital stays, which Osborne said frees up beds for others who need them.

He also spoke of an increased use of clot-busting drugs, bringing the province more in line with the national average, and more people availing of virtual appointments for care, known as virtual heart failure management. Osborne said the province plans to expand care options across the province by offering endovascular thrombectomy in central Newfoundland later this year.

But for Torngat Mountains MHA Lela Evans, the announcement comes at an interesting time.

"The way I look at it is they tried to find a good news story to put forward as smoke and mirrors, to detract from, really, the scathing report that came out in the Globe and Mail about the lack of permanent solutions for our health-care system and the failure to address the needs of our nurses," said Evans, the health critic for the provincial NDP.

"We have excellent cardiac care, but that's because we have the worst cardiac health issues in the country.… it would have been really good for the minister to step up and address the issues and concerns that we saw in that report."

The Globe and Mail recently reported the province spent $35.6 million on nurses from private agencies from April to August 2023, and shelled out cash for travel nurses' training, cable bills and a variety of other expenses.

Osborne on Wednesday called the use of agency nurses a "necessary evil," and said he wants to see the use of private agency nurses reduced, which he said is already happening in some areas.

The number of agency nurses in rotation in the greater metro St. John's region has dropped from a peak of about 60 nurses to around 20, he said.

"If you were to go back in time to when the health authorities made the decision to contract the agencies, you would probably have made, undoubtedly, have made the same decision. The alternative would have been more procedures cancelled, more services not available, more emergency departments closed," he said.

"Recruitment is what will resolve that, and … we're seeing the number of vacancies in permanent positions reduced because of recruitment."

Evans said the province isn't giving nurses and other medical professionals the things they need to keep them in Newfoundland and Labrador. If the provincial government cared about improving work conditions, she added, it wouldn't be need to rely on agency nurses.

"The minister really has to acknowledge that this was a well-scripted, prepared distraction. And for me, I can't accept it," she said.

"They're so good at distraction. It's sad…We're not that far off of American politics, because who can control the messaging can actually win elections. And it doesn't matter if you're competent.… You don't have to be accountable as long as the people don't know about it."

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