Opposition Health Critic says government has spent a quarter of a billion dollars on hiring agency nurses

    Thursday, 20 February 2025 07:00

    By Tonya Organ

    Barry Petten says “Just a couple of months ago we learned over 60 fully trained and qualified nurses from India are sitting home without jobs.”

    The Official Opposition Critic for Health and MHA for Conception Bay South, said government has spent over a quarter of a billion dollars on expensive, for profit, private agency nurses. Barry Petten says “Just a couple of months ago we learned over 60 fully trained and qualified nurses from India are sitting home without jobs.” He says “The Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union now estimates a quarter of a billion dollars has been spent thus far on private agency nurses, which can be paid over $300 an hour.” Petten was reacting to the plan to hire more private agency nurses to staff new beds in transitional and long-term care at the former Western Memorial Regional Hospital.  A move necessary due to overcrowding at the new hospital. 

     

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