The Wallaceburg-Walpole Island First Nation Health Coalition is inviting the public to a consultation meeting on public hospital reform.
The meeting is being held at the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 18 in Wallaceburg on Thursday, October 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“We are holding public consultations about our public hospitals,” Health Coalition officials stated in a press release.
“We want to hear your ideas about how our public hospitals can be the revitalized and reformed in the public interest. For example, in areas where there are new hospitals planned, people are concerned about multiple local hospitals closing down, the P3 privatization of their hospitals, or the location of new hospitals being too far away.”
Health Coalition officials say they want feedback from local resident son a number of issues.
“We want to hear, first hand, how hospital cuts have reduced access to needed services, changed how work is done, and led to privatization,” Health Coalition officials say.
“We want to know what you think about hospital boards that are no longer elected by the community or executive salaries that have ballooned. We also want to hear the positive experiences with excellent life-saving and life-enhancing care.”
The Health Coalition is looking ahead to the provincial election next year.
“Leading into next spring’s provincial election, we want to forge an agenda to fund our hospitals properly, and to ensure that funding goes to care,” Health Coalition officials say.
“We want to hold all of the political parties’ plans up against our proposals and see where they can be improved. Join us to help make our communities’ hospitals the best they can be. Please give your input to help protect and improve our public hospitals.”
More details about the upcoming Wallaceburg meeting:
– Deadlines for submissions: Deadline for booking a space for oral presentation to give your input at the Wallaceburg Public Hearing: Friday, October 6, 5 p.m. Spaces are 10 minutes per person. To book a time to make an oral submission, please call the Wallaceburg – WIFN Health Coalition at 226-402-2724 or the Ontario Health Coalition at 416-441-2502 or email: goddess@bell.net or ohc@sympatico.ca. Deadline for written submissions: Friday October 27, 5 p.m. Written submissions can be as informal as a hand-written note. All will be accepted.
– Guidelines for submissions: The Health Coaltion are seeking written or oral submissions. Submissions can be formal, such as a formal written brief or oral presentation; or informal, such as a letter or just a few key points that you present in person at your local hearing. We would like to be as inclusive as possible. The points below are some suggestions to help as you think about giving us your input. You need not address all the points we have raised here. We hope that you will focus on those that impact you, your family and your community, or those with whom you work.
– The Health Coalition would like to hear your ideas about: Positive practices, experiences and observations about hospital care, planning, governance, management and/or organization, improving planning and access to care, properly funding Ontario’s hospitals, improving quality of care, improving public ownership and democratic control, has privatization of hospital services impacted your community.
– All are welcome to come and watch the hearings and join in the discussion.
