Souris

The Liberal Party will strengthen rural healthcare by expanding the role of paramedics and giving communities a greater voice in the delivery of healthcare.

Premier Wade MacLauchlan was in Souris this morning to announce that a Liberal Government will expand the role of paramedics to deliver timely health care to Islanders, particularly in rural communities.

The Premier stated that paramedics play an essential role in the Island healthcare system but have the ability to do much more. The Premier announced an investment of $1 million dollars to establish a Community Paramedicine Program on Prince Edward Island.

“Under this program, paramedics with appropriate training will visit seniors and others in their homes to assist with less-urgent and non-urgent medical issues,” said the Premier.
“This program will be in addition to the ambulance and other health services currently
provided.”

The Community Paramedicine Program will start in Eastern Kings and then expand to other rural parts of the Province. Studies show that most Islanders want to remain in their homes. Supporting this wish benefits Islanders and communities, and reduces the demands on emergency departments.

Holland College continues to play a key role in educating health professionals, including its highly-recognized program for Advanced Care Paramedics. A Liberal Government will pursue discussions on the introduction of a Bachelor of Science in Paramedicine here on Prince Edward Island.

Investments have been made in ambulance services, including the introduction of two rapid response units in rural Prince Edward Island. The Premier announced that a Liberal government will add another ambulance to the Eastern Kings fleet to improve response times in the region.

“Eastern Kings is an area that has seen the system sometimes struggle to provide rapid ambulance response times as the size of the region the fleet covers is much larger than elsewhere,” said the Premier. “Eastern Kings is an ideal place to introduce a more innovative and collaborative approach to healthcare through the introduction of these initiatives.”

Premier MacLauchlan committed to the establishment of three Health Advisory Councils, one each for Kings, Queens and Prince County. These Councils will provide input and advice to the Board of Health P.E.I.

“Our Party believes that it is essential for Islanders from all parts of the Province to have meaningful input into the decisions made by Health PEI,” said the Premier.

Today’s announcement builds upon the Premier’s commitment that a Liberal government will deliver timely access to quality healthcare by investing in frontline services and expanding the role of health professionals, including nurse practitioners and pharmacists.