Dartmouth General Hospital; Jack Morse

Nova Scotia’s NDP Party are raising concerns over the lack of details provided in Thursday’s announcement on healthcare improvements being made around HRM.

The two most notable upgrades announced were an expansion of the Dartmouth General Emergency Department and the expansion of hours at the Cobequid Community Health Centre.

In a release from the NS NDP office they claim that the timeframes for both projects were vague and offered little hope to Nova Scotians suffering now from the lack of health services.

“The people of Nova Scotia are still waiting for health care to improve,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “The announcement included important expansions in Dartmouth and Sackville that communities have waited on for years from both Liberal and Conservative governments. But there were a lot of details missing about how and when we will see movement to improve hours and facilities at the Cobequid in Sackville, or increased services at the Dartmouth General. We are pushing for details, costing, and timelines to ensure people get the care they urgently need.”

The timelines presented suggested the work at Dartmouth General will not begin until late 2024, and the work at Cobequid will not begin until 2025.

Thursday’s announcement also indicated the province was close to reaching a deal with a construction firm to take over the redevelopment of the Halifax Infirmary, a project that was first announced in 2016 by the Liberal government.

“After 16 months of delay, we’re glad to see some new ideas about expanding care from this government, but there are still many questions about what the new Infirmary building will include and what it will cost,” said NDP Health and Wellness spokesperson Susan Leblanc. “New Democrats have said from the beginning that a public-private partnership (P3) isn’t in the best interest of Nova Scotians and we’re still worried about the lack of transparency and flexibility we’ll end up with at the Halifax Infirmary under a P3 deal.”