The Wallaceburg-Walpole Island Health Coalition is set to meet in Wallaceburg on Tuesday evening to discuss the potential for regionalization of healthcare services across Ontario.
Shirley Roebuck, chair of the group, told the Sydenham Current the meeting will be held at the UAW Hall on Elm Street in Wallaceburg at 7 p.m.
“I really encourage people to come out,” Roebuck said.
“We have to make our voices known to the Provincial Government. We are planning a rally as well in October on the 23rd at Queens Park and we will be talking about that (tonight) too.”
Roebuck added: “Last week MPP’s from several ridings have been talking about Doug Fords plans to regionalize Municipal Councils. Specifically there was an MPP from Grimsby that mentioned it in his speech as well as a MPP from one of the Ottawa ridings.”
Roebuck said she is concerned the “regionalized” concept will trickle into healthcare across the province.
“If the Provincial Government is going to downsize and regionalize Municipal Councils, I believe that is the same plan, it is almost a precursor to what they will do to health care in this province. I don’t know exactly what it would look like around here but I think Windsor and London would become health care hubs and the smaller community and rural hospitals would be amalgamated with those larger centres.”
Roebuck said the Coalition believes this is going to upset the balance in healthcare.
“It really isn’t a balance yet,” she said.
“It is going to upset local services and cause people to drive to London or Windsor. It’s going to decrease the quality of care that folks are getting around here now.”
Roebuck said she believes Wallaceburg will, once again, be in for a fight.
“I don’t know what number it would be in the campaigns that have existed to save the Wallaceburg hospital, but we are going to have to fight again I believe to save it and save our services,” Roebuck said.
“We want local services. We want healthy services. People shouldn’t have to be driving hither, thither and yon. God knows what will happen in Chatham. Chatham will be affected also.
Roebuck said the group is also seeking donations to help with the bus trip to Queen’s Park on Oct. 23.
“Remember when regionalization happened last time, Wallaceburg was decimated and we lost so much,” she said.
“We don’t want anything like that in our future. We want to keep our hospital open. We want to keep our emergency 24/7 and we are going to have to make sure that Mr. (Doug) Ford and his government know that.”
The Tuesday meeting in Wallaceburg is open to the public.
