Beware Morell clinic promise, warn Tories

 P.E.I. Liberal Leader Robert Ghiz is promising a new health clinic for Morell, but the Progressive Conservatives say residents should be wary of that commitment.

Ghiz made the election promise Wednesday during a health care announcement in Cornwall.

"I'm very pleased to announce today that we will be opening a health centre in Morell in 2012," he said.

People who live in Morell now drive to Charlottetown, Montague or Souris to see a family doctor.

The promise is part of a commitment made earlier this year to open satellite clinics in areas that don't have doctors, so all Islanders are within 30 kilometres of a health centre. The clinics would only be open a few days a week.

Darlene Compton, who is running for the Tories in Belfast-Murray River, said given the experience in her community voters in Morell should take the 2012 commitment with a grain of salt.

"We were promised a satellite health centre," said Compton.

"Four years later and we do have an empty building in Murray River and there is no satellite health centre. Morell might want to do a heads up that the promise wasn't kept."

Liberal MLA Charlie McGeoghegan made that promise during a byelection in 2007.

The Liberals say the empty building in Murray River will soon house a new clinic.