Shephard To Host Virtual Consultations On Healthcare

The Health Minister plans to take part in a virtual consultation tour to gather feedback on the future of provincial healthcare.

Dorothy Shephard said her department has created a discussion paper outlining the current challenges and the vision for what a sustainable health-care system could look like.

The tour will be virtual and Shephard said it’s not her preferred way of engagement.

“I would much prefer to be in the room to be having those body language impressions to have a very personal conversation with people so, for me, it’s a different way of communicating,” Shephard said.

Shephard will make virtual stops in about a dozen communities which include the six communities impacted by the proposed ER closures last year.

She said the government has made a commitment to those communities that their emergency rooms will not change.

“Now let me say this. If having conversations with the community deems that the community chooses to make some change then that’s what we are going to have the discussions about,” Shephard said.

The Liberal opposition disagrees with the government holding these public engagement sessions during the pandemic.

Shephard thinks if the government chose to postpone the consultations they would hear criticism about doing that.

“I can’t anticipate what opposition members are going to say or do. Here’s what I can promise the people of New Brunswick, the consultations will happen respecting our COVID reality but, the work needs to continue.” Shephard said.

New Brunswickers are encouraged to share their opinions via email.

Separate sessions will be held for First Nations communities, front-line healthcare workers, and professional associations.

A schedule for a series of virtual stops will be released in the coming weeks.