Government Failure in Recruitment and Retention Causing Empty Beds in Janeway
- NL NDP
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
For Immediate Release
April 10, 2025
NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) pressed government today in the House of Assembly on the decision from the Department of Health, along with NL Health Services (NLHS), to move adult gynecology and women’s health into the Janeway Children’s Hospital.
The Minister says that there is a significant number of empty beds in the Janeway, with 40% of beds vacant, Dinn believes that this isn’t happening because children can’t use these beds, but rather that government is failing in recruiting and retaining doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals who would allow then these beds to be open.
“Are the Janeway beds unoccupied because there are not enough sick children who need them or because NLHS and government failed to staff the hospital appropriately?” Dinn questioned the Minister.
Dinn wonders how many procedures, tests, and operations for children have been cancelled because there weren’t beds for them?
He continues, highlighting that the Minister stated that they are trying to replicate the model at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax where women’s health is in the children’s hospital. However, Dinn points out that the Minister leaves out important context.
“The Minister forgot to add that women’s health and pediatric centre are two separate buildings with a link between them. No other pediatric tertiary care center in Canada is doing what NLHS and the Department are proposing,” Dinn highlights.
“Will the Minister simply admit that what he is trying to do is solve a long-term care and acute care bed crises on backs of sick children?”
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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media and Communications Officer, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca
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