Yet another reduction in services at the Ross River Health Centre is being condemned by the opposition parties.

A government official confirmed the situation to the Star this morning, with more details to come.

Ken Hegan said the services disruption will being tomorrow.

In a news release, the NDP wrote, “Ross River’s health care centre will sharply reduce available  services for a month starting at the end of September.

“This isn’t just a staffing shortage. Nurses are leaving because they’re tired of being let  down by a government that doesn’t have their backs. Rural Yukoners are paying for the  Liberals’ failures,” NDP Leader Kate White said Tuesday. 

“From Mayo to Teslin and Pelly Crossing, and now again in Ross River, the Yukon  Liberals are telling rural Yukoners to make do without health care. That’s unacceptable,”  White added. 

Annie Blake, the NDP’s Health and Social Services critic, said the near-shutdown in Ross River is the latest example of the Liberal government’s  “inability to deliver essential community services across the territory.

“Health Minister (Tracy-Anne) McPhee said last year that the communities were seeing nursing  vacancy rates of 40 per cent. It’s frustrating to see nothing’s changed for rural  Yukoners,” Blake said. 

“It’s clear that rural health care is crumbling under the Yukon.”

The Yukon Party also weighed in on the situation this morning.

The party issued a news release saying “this is the second time in three months that the Ross River Health Centre has been  closed for an extended period.

“Rolling health centre closures this summer have had  services reduced in Destruction Bay, Pelly Crossing, Mayo, Teslin, and Beaver Creek,” the official Opposition pointed out.

“We saw the first rural health centre service closures in May,” said Pelly-Nisutlin MLA  Stacey Hassard, whose riding includes Ross River and Teslin.

“October is around the  corner, and these closures are still taking place. The minister and this government need  to address these shortages in rural Yukon not only for people to access timely health  care, but for the overall public safety of our communities.” 

In the release, the party added that it is “increasingly becoming appalled about the  reduction of health services in rural Yukon.”

The Yukon Party is also concerned over the way rural health centre  closures are being announced, as not everyone has access to social media and the  Internet.

Government communications analysts do not directly notify mainstream media outlets each time a clinic closes.

“We are asking that the Liberal government issue press releases announcing  the closures, in addition to social media,” the Yukon Party said.

“This would ensure more widespread traditional  media coverage, and further help ensure all affected Yukoners are informed.”