Prince County Hospital woes take centre stage as P.E.I. legislature resumes

On a day when the Speaker asked all three parties to try again to find consensus on how to divvy up debate time in the P.E.I. legislature, the Liberals, Greens and even backbench PC MLAs found one thing they could agree on: the beleaguered state of P.E.I.'s health-care system, and especially Prince County Hospital in Summerside.

The PCH was the focus of the first question period of the new sitting, with MLAs from all three parties weighing in.

"It should come as no surprise, Madame Speaker, after the experience I've had at the doors that the number-one topic that I heard was the Prince County Hospital," said Matt MacFarlane, making his first appearance in the legislature since winning a byelection in District 19 for the Greens three weeks ago.

The intensive care unit at the PCH was closed almost a year ago because of a shortage of internal medicine specialists, and transitioned into a progressive care unit.

The capacity of that unit was cut even further last month.

MacFarlane said the hospital is now struggling to maintain the nursing staff it would need in order for the ICU to reopen.

"A year ago, the vacancy rate for critical-care nurses was sitting at around 10 per cent," MacFarlane told the legislature. 

"Now, it's between 65 and 70 per cent vacancy rates, and those who remain are exhausted, demoralized, and wondering how much longer they can carry on in their jobs."

Health Minister Mark McLane said the province has hired three critical care nurses since January, while acknowledging that "it's not enough."

He said the province's latest recruitment trip overseas has led to up to 45 job offers for internationally trained nurses, but added that's also "probably not a solution."

McLane mentioned a new government grant program for skill development within the health-care industry announced Monday, saying: "Critical-care nursing and high-acuity nursing [are] in demand, and we'll continue to try to fill the gap when we can."

He also said the province has hired another external recruitment firm — making the total now at least six — and said an internal medicine specialist has signed on to work at PCH. The hospital has four current vacancies.

Two weeks ago, McLane told CBC News the government unit in charge of health-care recruitment is also missing about half its staff.

"We all know, as my colleagues just told us, that our health-care system is at an all-time low," said PC backbench MLA Tyler DesRoches said. He said residents around his constituency, which is home to the PCH, were bearing the brunt of the challenges because of the struggles at the hospital.