Snacks, stickers for Janeway kids trimmed in budget cuts

Eastern Health is reaching deep in its bid to control expenses all the way down to limiting the number of stickers kids at the Janeway receive and curtailingwhich children get snacks while undergoingcounsellingat the hospital.

CBC News obtained internal Eastern Health correspondence on the cost-cutting measuresthrough access to information.

I am sorry for the distress this may cause some of our clients.- Feb. 16internal Eastern Health email

A manager with the health authority's adolescent mental health program outlined one aspect of the new measures in a Feb. 16 email to other staff.

"I know I have been talking about the budget and the very tight situation the entire province is in," that email noted.

"We too have to do our part. On a go-forward basis, we will no longer be providing snacks at any level. I am sorry for the distress this may cause some of our clients."

In an email to CBC News late Tuesday evening,Eastern Health communications officials stressed that the cut only applies to individual counselling sessions. Snacks are still provided for group therapy.

Stickers also limited

Another email from November indicates that talks were underway aboutstickers provided to childrenat the Janeway.

"There was discussion about the distribution of stickers and that some areas have decided to purchase stickers from the dollar store themselves to give out to the children. This [has] given them reason to think about how many stickers they actually give out," the emailreads.

"Smile makers cost at least $1 each. If you give out 2-3 per child and there's 100 visits it's potentially $100-300 a day just on stickers. Just think about how much that costs throughout the year."

The Janeway'semergency department, outpatient and other clinicsall provide stickers to patients.

As a cost-cutting measure, the number of stickers given to kids has been capped.

According to Eastern Health, staff will now provide only one sticker to children at the Janeway,as opposed to multiple stickers.

Budget to be tabled Thursday

The province's fledgling Liberal government is set to table its inaugural budget on Thursday, and the news is not expected to be good.

The most recent estimates for the just-ended fiscal year had Newfoundland and Labrador lurching towards a $2-billion deficit.

The province's finances have crashed in lockstep with the price of oil, sparking an exhaustive review of all government spending.

Last week, Finance Minister Cathy Bennett told CBC News that "there is not one single choice in this budget not one that is a happy one."