Two former caucus colleagues butted heads in the House of Assembly today on staffing at the Urgent Care Clinic in the capital city’s east end.
Since it opened last year, the facility has had to shut down numerous times due to staffing issues.
Health Minister Lela Evans responded to NDP Leader Jim Dinn during Question Period yesterday, indicating that she wants to change the culture surrounding staffing problems.
Dinn interpreted that as blaming workers, something to which the Health Minister took offence in the House today.
Evans, who once worked alongside Dinn in the NDP caucus, asked the leader if he was joking in making the suggestion.
“I’m not joking” Dinn responded, “I’m actually believing that the minister is blaming the people who work there for the problem, so I ask the minister, what plans does her department have to make sure that the Urgent Care Clinic at Stavanger Drive is fully staffed? What are the plans to address that?”
Minister Evans told the Speaker that she felt that was a “low blow. I have to call the member out for that.” She says as minister, she’s taken a lot of time to ensure that government acknowledges the work and struggles of front line workers, “and we appreciate and we respect them Speaker.”
She says there are a lot of problems in health care right now, but “I’m going to make sure when we address them, we look after the front line workers.”
