A contingent from Chatham-Kent is heading to a healthcare rally at Queen’s Park in Toronto this week.
Shirley Roebuck, chair of the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition, said the Ontario Health Coalition is staging a demonstration on Friday, Nov. 21 at the provincial legislature.
“We hope to see many people out in Queen’s Park telling the government that we want to keep our community hospitals and we do not like any privatization of healthcare services and we need our hospital services back,” she said.
“There seems to be an organized effort again on the part of the Ontario government to regionalize healthcare and the shut down or seriously cut services at community hospitals and in small rural hospitals.
Roebuck added: “Not only in Wallaceurg, I mean they couldn’t take much more away from poor Sydenham District. But beds are being cut in Stratford, in Meaford, St. Mary’s and Clinton. In Miuland Ontario the Penetanguishene Hospital is set to close next month. All over the province there are problems.”
Roebuck said the local group along with the Ontario Health Coalition overall strongly believes in public healthcare and in the Canada Health Act.
“We believe in community hospitals supplying local healthcare services to everyone, and no one jumping the line just because they have money,” she said. “That is what we want to start our campaign with is this rally.”
Roebuck said there is an opportunity for people from Wallaceburg, Dresden, Chatham and all the communities in between to head to the rally.
Roebuck said a bus will be leaving from Wallaceburg on Friday from the parking lot across from The Beer Store and Tim Horton’s at 7 a.m. The bus ride is free and the there will be a free lunch provided as well.
If anyone is interested in attending the bus trip and the rally in Toronto, call Roebuck at 226-402-2724.
