N.L.'s health minister got it wrong: Fewer's Ambulance didn't pull out of Ferryland and Cape Broyle

Health Minister Tom Osborne "misspoke" when he said this week that an ambulance service operated by Bob Fewer had given notice that the company would be pulling out of Cape Broyle and Ferryland, said the provincial Health Department on Friday.

After Fewer contradicted Osborne's statement Thursday, the Health Department acknowledged Ferryland Emergency Services, owned by Fewer, would continue to provide services in the region. The department said it was another Fewer-owned operation, Ryan's Ambulance Service, that had given notice it was pulling out of the Trepassey area.

"The minister simply misspoke, as the interview covered multiple topics related to ambulance services in the province," reads the statement, from department spokesperson Laura Thomas. "The department has clarified the response, and the minister apologizes for any confusion it may have caused."

The confusion began Monday in an interview with Osborne for The St. John's Morning Show, in which he said the ambulance provider for the Ferryland and Cape Broyle area was pulling out.

"I can say that the current operator has provided 180 days' notice some two or two and a half months ago to conclude his contract in the area," said Osborne at the time.

On Wednesday, Fewer provided a statement to CBC News in which he said his company was having difficulty maintaining staffing levels but was not pulling out. Residents have spoken to CBC News in recent weeks about concerns over the quality and availability of service since Boxing Day of last year.

Fewer's statement also said that while Ryan's Ambulance Service had indeed given notice in Trepassey, it also said they would continue to operate past the 180 days' notice if coverage was not in place by then so residents wouldn't be left without coverage.

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