Health Coalition preparing for massive rally

(Chatham-Kent Health Coalition)

With the aim of calling on the provincial government to stop the cuts and eliminating local health care services, the Chatham-Kent and Ontario Health Coalitions are holding a rally on Saturday, November 2.

Organizers say hundreds of local Chatham-Kent residents will be joined by approximately 150 people from across Southwestern Ontario at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre from 11 a.m. until approximately 12:30 p.m.

Shirley Roebuck, one of the local organizers, told the Sydenham Current she is hoping for a great turnout.

Organizers say the “family friendly” event will be an indoor ‘rally’ style event with noisemakers, speeches, visual presentations, music, hotdogs, hot chocolate, snacks, coffee and tea.

Organizers say the Coalition is hoping to “build enough political pressure on the Doug Ford government” to:

– Stop plans to eliminate 25 of 35 local Public Health Units

– Eliminate 49 of 59 local ambulance/paramedic services and 12 of 22 local dispatch units and merge them down to 10.

– To stop plans to cut public health and long-term care funding and the offloading of costs to municipalities

– And to stop real-dollar cuts to hospitals and long-term care homes.

Organizers added the Coalition is also working to protect home care and health care services from privatization.

The event is organized by the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition and the Ontario Health Coalition with a local organizing committee including dozens of local organizations.

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