DARTMOUTH: Larry Farrell’s wife has been a nurse for 40 years taking care of people. Now when she needs to be taken care of most, the care she gave is not available for her.
Farrell was one of a few speakers who got up to voice their concern and dissatisfaction at the current shortage in the province at a health care rally on Sept. 5, hosted by the PC Party at the Fairbanks Centre in Dartmouth. Close to 65 people were in attendance at the rally.
“She has worked 40 years taking care of people, and now at this age she doesn’t have a doctor to take care of her and that pisses me right off,” said Farrell his frustration and anger coming through loud and clear.
Farrell said that his wife had a family doctor until last year—when her doctor retired, and no one took on that doctor’s patients.
“She went to see the doctor at her last appointment and got prescriptions for the next year with the hope she would find another family doctor within the next seven or eight months,” he said. “However, that was not the case.”
In a release, PC Health Critic Eddie Orrell said Bluenosers have been forced to find care the best ways they can in a broken health care system.
“This system has been broken for so long that Nova Scotians forget what it’s like to have a system that functions properly,” said Orrell.
Interim PC Leader Karla MacFarlane said the crisis is being felt in every corner of the province from Pictou County to Yarmouth, to Cape Breton to Amherst.
“The cries from Nova Scotians struggling to navigate a health care system in shambles have gone on too long,” said MacFarlane.
Farrell said he can’t believe that 55,000 people in the province are without a doctor.
“Is this madness?” he said. “Where in God’s name are we living. 55,000 people in this province do not have a doctor. If you don’t have a doctor, that’s a very terrible feeling because it’s something we’ve always needed. It’s something we’ve always had, and all of a sudden 55,000 people don’t.
“This government (the Liberals) need to wake up. People are dying waiting for a doctor. All of us deserve a family doctor.”
He summed things up with a Newfoundland analogy.
“Boys oh boys oh boys, the arse is gone right out of er’,” said Farrell to a standing applause from the crowd.
