Kennedy takes charge Straits leaders optimistic about progress on medical services at Flowers Cove AARON BESWICK Northern Pen

Jerome Kennedy has succeeded Paul Oram as minister of health. He was on the Northern Peninsula last week meeting with Straits area community leaders and visited Curtis Memorial Hospital in St. Anthony. AARON BESWICK PHOTO

Within hours of being sworn in as the new health minister, Jerome Kennedy was on his way to Anchor Point.

Premier Danny Williams and deputy premier Kathy Dunderdale made the trip with him to meet with Straits area community leaders and discuss the future of medical services at the Strait of Belle Isle Health Centre.

"It went very well," said Anchor Point Mayor Gerry Gros of the meeting in his town office. "It was crowded, but it was productive."

The meeting comes after a campaign by Straits residents to have proposed cuts to their health services reversed. The two protests and letter writing campaign made the proposed cuts of operating hours and laboratory/x-ray services at the health centre an issue in the current byelection.

"We already have a commitment that the new health centre will be open 24 hours," said Mayor Gros, who was joined at the meeting by Sandy Cove resident Harrison White, Flowers Cove Mayor Keith Billard, Straits-St. Barbe Chronic Care Corporation chief executive officer Judy Way and Dr. Vivien Pealing.

At the meeting the Straits area community leaders committed to government to help find capital cost savings in the building of a planned $9-million health centre in Flowers Cove. In exchange, Mr. Kennedy and Premier Williams said they may be able to maintain laboratory/x-ray services at the new health centre.

"To a person at that meeting they said we'll have a look at what's proposed, find what our area needs and where savings can be found," Premier Williams told the Pen of the discussions. "I got to say the spirit of co-operation shown by them was a breath of fresh air."

Premier Williams explained that government is searching for ways to save money on medical services to make their delivery more sustainable.

"We need a sustainable health care system and we're trying to get that system to where it is affordable and it works," said Premier Williams. "It was a great dialogue and there was a doctor there who explained that cutting laboratory and x-ray services may not end up saving money. I'm aware of the condition of that highway in winter and they told us about the absolute need for x-ray services."

One of the original objections raised by Straits residents about the proposed cuts and plan for a new hospital was a lack of consultation. Mr. Kennedy, as the new health minister, signaled his plan to consult more - saying the department was looking at advisory boards and how to keep in better touch with those on the ground.

"We learned a lot," said Mr. Kennedy. "We visited the health centre that's there and obviously that's inadequate. We then met with the community leaders and had a very good discussion where the premier indicated that there is no plan to close lab and x-ray services at this time until a new building is built. But the discussion we also had was that while building this new building, if there are savings that can be made on the capital expenditures, then we can look at maintaining the services that presently exist. There were no promises given and the premier indicated it wouldn't be appropriate to make such promises during a byelection."