They won’t say it’s a change of heart, but Premier Dwight Ball and Health Minister John Haggie are prepared to meet with Dr. Justin French to discuss his proposal to open an eye surgery clinic in Corner Brook.
French has spoken publically about the province’s rejection of that plan and has said he is considering leaving the city.
On Thursday while at Academy Canada for an announcement on improvements to the apprenticeship program, Ball said he’s reached out to French to talk more about his plan.
“We need to have a better understanding, maybe, of what he’s proposing. And I need to have an understanding, as well as our government needs to understand, that it aligns first and foremost with the Canada Health Act.”
Ball said the government knows there are prolonged wait times for cataract surgery, but the same goes for other ophthalmology services.
“It’s really about how we deliver services, how we address the wait times.”
Again he said that has to done within the confines of the Canada Health Act.
Ball said there are questions that need to be answered about French’s proposal — does it actually reduce wait times and does it actually reduce the cost of ophthalmology services in western Newfoundland?
He said there’s also the question is this a privatization of health care?
“Or is this really an extension of health care for ophthalmology services, and can we actually find efficiencies in a different way.”
Ball, who has known French for a long time, said he’s all for finding different ways of doing things, but it must be done on the premise of improving outcomes.
Haggie was also at Academy Canada and said French’s proposal involved a stand-alone clinic and he would bill MCP for the procedures he performed. There would also be a per-case charge to cover things the department normally would, like consumables and staffing.
“On the basis of the economic argument that failed,” said Haggie.
As recently as 10 days ago, Haggie said, the discussion changed rapidly to one about wait times.
“And this is I think where we need to focus.”
Haggie said French and his patients raise valid points. “They seem to be waiting longer than our data would have suggested.”
Haggie said that needs to be addressed.
“It’s about the service to the individual patient. It’s about helping a very successful eye surgeon who’s in great demand get his life back, basically.”
Haggie said the province has experts in wait time that it can bring into the discussion, but it needs to see the data that French has, go through it with him and agree on the magnitude and scope of the problem.
Is the biggest part of the wait getting to see him, or is it that people see him and then have to wait for cataract surgery, and how is cataract surgery impacted by other things he has to do, are all questions Haggie has.
Ball hopes to connect with French in the coming days.
His cabinet is in the city for the next few days and is meeting at the Sir Richard Squires Building. A rally in support of French’s plan is scheduled to take place outside the building at noon today.
A group of citizens circulating a petition in support of French’s plan is hoping to get it into the hands of the premier and Haggie at the rally.
