Whitbourne mayor on the warpath over long string of emergency room closures

By Mark Squibb/September 30, 2022

For the fourteenth week in a row, Whitbourne’s ER has suffered a temporary closure due to a lack of staff.

Eastern Health announced on September 23 that emergency services would not be offered at the Dr. William H. Newhook Community Health Centre from Monday, September 26 at 8 a.m. until Monday, October 3 at 8 a.m.

Eastern Health has asked folks who require urgent medical attention to call an ambulance or drive to the ER in Placentia, Carbonear, or St. Johns.

Placentia, the closest of those three options, is roughly a 40-minute drive — a long drive if you’re in the middle of a medical emergency.

Whitbourne Mayor Hilda Whalen says it’s simply not good enough.

“I don’t understand why they made Placentia hospital our go to hospital,” said Whalen, noting that due to Whitbourne’s proximity to the highway, accident victims are often brought to the Whitbourne Clinic – when it’s open at least. “Is it political? Is it because it’s Sherry Gambin-Walsh’s hometown?”

Gambin Walsh is the Liberal member for the district of Placentia – St. Mary’s, which includes Whitbourne.

She added that while Placentia boasts a senior citizen nursing home, that’s not reason enough for Whitbourne to get the short end of the stick.

And she plans on letting government know how the community feels.

“Come October, when they get back in the House, I do plan on making a petition to go island wide to get these people out,” said Whalen. “I told (Minister of Health and Community Services) Tom Osbourne and I told the Premier, that if ‘You don’t get this fixed, you have to get out and let someone else do it.’ And I like the premier, I think he’s a good premier. But when it comes to healthcare, which is the most important thing in the province, he’s doing nothing.”

Whalen said that a lot of residents are worried the clinic will close permanently.

“I tell them, ‘No, the clinic is not slated to close. We just don’t have any doctor.’”