May 2

On behalf of the Network, I wish to thank you for your letter of support for our publicly funded and delivered health care system. However, it is with regret and alarm that the recent media report identifying a PRIVATE HOSPITAL FACILITY to be opened by August is both appalling and alarming to Nova Scotians.

If the Premier and your government is truly committed to the Canada Health Act and public health care, then it flies in our face that you and your government has sanctioned a "for-profit" facility to be opened in Dartmouth this year. This facility would not have dared such a financial opportunity within this province without the prior approval of the government of this province. This is now two "for-profit" facilities that has and will be opening its' doors.

The for-profit "hospital" will drastically take away greatly needed staff, both doctors, nurses, health professionals and other health care workers. These workers are so desperately needed in our medical facilities around this province. We have hospitals closing its doors on weekends, further reduction is beds, disgraceful and areas in this province without a doctor.

Wait times have not been reduce with the private MRI clinic, we still hear and see patients waiting much longer than a year now for replacement surgery. One woman contacted us and has been waiting three (3), yes three years for a shoulder replacement. When is this destruction to health care treatment going to come to an end?

Now is the time for swift, decisive action by both our provincial and federal governments to stop this new centre in its tracks. You had promised new legislation to deal effectively with this issue. In our view the only effective legislative response is for the province to ban all for-profit health care facilities from EVER opening and to bring existing facilities such as the private MRI clinic into the public sector.

Public health care can be strengthen by having a comprehensive wait list management strategy and a comprehensive health human resource strategy. If more beds along with staff are not forthcoming in our public system in the near future, then it will look like it was set up to fail. We have been saying this for the past ten years, when 2000 beds were closed across this province and we lost major health professionals. The Network, its' affiliates, friends and other coalitions will not sit back and allow this government to have a blind eye to this ever increasing growth of for-profit facilities.

Once a door is pushed open, it's only a matter of time before it slowly trickles open more and more until it is completely opened, then we will become the 52 State.

You, Hon. Minister and the Premier have an opportunity to reverse this ever-growing for-profit trend which does nothing for the people of this province, it will only steal from the public system and increase our wait times even further.

We expect action on your government's part to eliminate and stop this facility. It was not welcomed in PEI, and it is not welcomed in Nova Scotia. Ontario has bought 5 private MRI clinics, so why are we allowing the private clinic here to remain opened?

This is one of the most regressive actions by your government if you do not do something to stop this facility from opening. We are willing to assist you and the department of health in identifying strategies, resources and whatever else we are able to do to make health care better in Nova Scotia for Nova Scotians. We look forward to hearing from you to learn what actions if any you are prepared to take to barr the doors to this private medical facility.