In the 2022 budget, the provincial government announced that the four health authorities would be merged into one provincial health authority. Health Minister John Haggie says the move is a clear recommendation from Health Accord NL. He notes that the province has been thinking of merging the health authorities “for quite some time”. The actual transition, however, could take from a year and a half to a year and a half. He says the move will affect the backend’s efforts, not so much the front lines. As for job losses, Haggie says “there may be some job changes,” but they intend to be a gradual process. He says people who may be displaced will be offered “comparable, meaningful jobs” and some people may be ready to retire, so wear and tear will also help in the process. “This is not a mass dismissal. “or redundancies of any kind,” says Haggie. Meanwhile, the provincial government plans to give $ 10 million to the emergency department of the Center for Health Sciences. Haggy says the renovations are long overdue. He believes the last renovations took place in 1974, and the flow and management of patients has changed significantly since then. Haggie says some of the reno are related to the new mental health unit. “So there is no wrong door” and people can enter whether they have a physical crisis or a mental health crisis. He says new ventilation will also be added to address COVID problems.
