BY RICK BARTOLUCCI
The long awaited release of the Ministry of
Health's Operational Review of the Sudbury Regional Hospital
has generated much discussion, speculation and anxiety in
northeastern Ontario. CEO Vicki Kaminski requested the review
in 2001 after taking over from Joe de Mora, who departed in
2000. To avoid the hospital from sinking deeper into the
financial bog in which it is mired, Kaminski asked the ministry
to conduct the review so that ministry officials could confirm
first-hand that the situation is tenuous and
unsustainable.
From the beginning of the amalgamation
process, the Tories have refused to adequately fund and guide
the massive hospital restructuring project it initiated.
As early as 1997, I, along with other
community leaders warned the current government of the folly of
its handling of the situation. Rather than heed the alarm, the
Tories hit the snooze button.
As a result, the operational review reveals a
disturbing, but not surprising financial picture. The report is
essentially a reiteration of concerns that have been conveyed
time and again to the current health minister and his
predecessors.
Unfortunately, as evidenced by the
operational review, the government would have our community
believe that blame belongs on the shoulders of the hospital
board and management team dating back to 1997. In truth, the
crux of the problem lies in the fact that from the onset of the
amalgamation process, this government failed to ensure the
project received adequate funding, direction and commitment
from the ministerial level.
Because the project was crippled from a lack
of funds and guidance, management often took a short-sighted,
piece-meal" 'patch-up job" approach to resolving
problems.
And so while past management is not entirely
blameless for its handling of the situation, many concerns with
which it was faced stemmed from the government's abdication of
responsibility.
At this point, the only way to manoeuver is
to move forward.
The hiring of a supervisor is a regrettable
but understandable step. However, this move will smack of
political posturing if the appointee is not provided with the
fiscal resources needed to repair the damage.
More specifically, the supervisor must be
armed with adequate funding to ensure the construction of the
one-site model is completed rather than lurch along
sporadically as it has for years. Resources are also needed to
ensure operational and front-line service delivery systems are
running smoothly.
This is the Harris/Eves government's mess. It
must pay up as it should have done years ago. Greater Sudbury
residents cannot be expected to dig deeper than they already
have.
Rick Bartolucci is the MPP for Sudbury.