Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was in Sarnia last week to hear from local health care representatives about the challenges facing patients and families due to the Liberal government’s cuts to hospital funding.
Horwath says it’s time for the Liberal government to stop cutting hospital care and ensure that Ontario families can count on their health care system to be there when they need it. She reiterated that hospital funding should be stable, predictable and, at a minimum, must keep pace with inflation and population growth.
“The last thing people should have to worry about is their family’s health care. Instead of stability, people are watching as hundreds of nurses are fired, hospital beds are closed, and services are being cut across Ontario because this Liberal government is forcing hospitals to make decisions based on dollars and deficits, instead of what’s best for patients,” said Horwath. “Health care is this government’s silent crisis. Ontarians deserve health care they can count on, and that’s what the NDP is determined to deliver.”
NDP officials said in a press release that more than 1,200 nursing positions have been cut since the start of 2015 because hospital base funding was frozen by Kathleen Wynne for four straight years.
Budget 2016 contains a mere one percent increase.
By refusing to ensure hospital funding keeps up with inflation and the cost of serving a growing population, the Liberals are forcing hospitals to cut patient care and lay-off frontline health care workers.
Bluewater Health in Sarnia and Petrolia recently announced that 12 positions would be cut to find $5 million in needed savings. This brings the total positions lost at the hospital corporation to nearly 80 over the last four years as they grapple with frozen budgets and inflationary costs.
Community leaders from Wallaceburg have been to Queen’s Park to get answers from the Minister of Health regarding concerns about the future of Sydenham District Hospital.
“14 million Ontarians rely on the health care system. Whether it is parents worried about a sick child, or our growing senior population who need more care to stay healthy, we all count on our hospitals and emergency rooms,” continued Horwath. “We need to make sure, at the very least, that hospital funding keeps up with inflation and population growth. Ontario can and must do so much better.”
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