Crapaud could be 'perfect model' of rural health care on P.E.I., says minister

Minister of Health and Wellness James Aylward says his government is committed to filling a doctor vacancy in the Crapaud area — and that it's "looking forward to setting Crapaud up as a perfect model" for health care in rural P.E.I.

The statement comes one day after community volunteers appeared before the province's health and social development committee, describing their ongoing two-year struggle to fill the position, and an apparent lack of commitment from the province to maintain a doctor in the community.

Aylward said Thursday filling the position for a doctor based out of Crapaud has "always been our plan," since the PC government came to power following the April 2019 provincial election.

"What we would envision for a community like Crapaud, for example, would be a full-time physician complemented with a nurse practitioner complemented with an RN that would visit the community who maybe specializes in COPD," said Aylward.

There has been some confusion recently — expressed by members of all three political parties in the legislature Wednesday — over what the Dennis King government's plan might be to provide primary health care in rural communities.

'Full steam ahead'

Community members in Crapaud built their own new 3,000-square foot clinic building and purchased the necessary medical equipment.

That building is currently home to a walk-in clinic and a single nurse practitioner.

Members of South Shore Health & Wellness Inc. told a committee of MLAs Wednesday they were advised by the province's deputy minister of health of a new direction in primary care, with clinics operating with a minimum of four to five physicians working under the same roof.

But Aylward said Thursday that's not a policy his government is pursuing — that it remains committed to Crapaud and other rural communities operating with only one physician.

With a "standalone practice, like in Crapaud for example, we want to ensure that the doctor is supported by other health-care professionals" such as nurse practitioners and registered nurses, Aylward said.

And if communities want to advertise their own doctor vacancies to try to find a physician to fill them, "full steam ahead," he said.

Plan not communicated

The South Shore group told the committee they were asked by the province not to include that the vacant position was in Crapaud in ads they were running. They continued to do so regardless.

"I'm not sure where that came from, it may have been the previous administration," said Aylward.

When contacted by CBC, Matt MacFarlane, co-chair of South Shore Health & Wellness Inc., said "it's great to hear" that the current government has planned all along to fill the doctor vacancy in Crapaud.

"That plan has never been communicated to us as the plan," he said. "So at this point it's certainly wonderful to hear, finally, a commitment to placing a doctor in Crapaud and we'd love to hear a little bit more about the government's plan for rolling that out."

He said the news was "timely," as the group is scheduled to meet with Premier Dennis King Friday.

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