The MLA for Inverness says patients have been left in limbo by the resignation of a local surgeon.
Dr. Jeannie MacGillivray recently left St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish due to work-life balance and burnout concerns.
In a letter to patients, MacGillivray said she proposed ideas to reduce on-call demands for the three surgeons at St. Martha’s, but none of her suggestions were acceptable to hospital officials, so she stepped down; she later learned her resignation meant she could no longer perform surgeries at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital.
Allan MacMaster, Inverness’ MLA, tells The Hawk the situation doesn’t add up.
“Dr. MacGillivray asked for flexibility and she got none,” he says. “The health authority, instead of working with her, they’re putting out releases saying she resigned, but they’re really not telling people the whole story behind what happened.”
MacMaster says a recent Facebook post regarding MacGillivray reached 35,000 people, and he wants those same 35,000 to comment on a new post; those comments will be sent to Randy Delorey, the provincial health minister and MLA for Antigonish, and Premier Stephen McNeil.
He says what happened doesn’t make sense in an area desperate for doctors.
“The health authority is going out and recruiting doctors, and trying to find a replacement for her,” he says. “What they should be doing is getting her back to work to serve the people who know her and appreciate what she does.”
In a statement, officials with the Nova Scotia Health Authority say what is being shared and claimed in some media stories and social media posts is not accurate.
They say the resignation is a private, personal decision made by a physician who has decided to leave the area, and they say they will no longer comment further or discuss the matter publicly.
