Nickel Belt MPP and NDP health critic France Gélinas is laying the blame for the current crisis in Ontario's health-care system at the feet of the Liberals.
“There is a crisis in Ontario’s hospitals and the premier refuses to admit it,” Gélinas said in question period. “When the CEO of a hospital comes out publicly and says they’re being underfunded, we have a problem.”
Recently, Kenora’s Lake of the Woods District Hospital president and CEO blamed their significant deficit on Ministry of Health claw backs. He isn’t alone, said a press release from Gélinas.
Liberal government cuts and budget freezes have left Ontario hospitals in the dark, health care workers stretched thin and patients facing skyrocketing wait times, the press release goes on to say.
Meanwhile, the Conservative leader vows to “leave no stone unturned” guaranteeing $6 billion in more cuts to already depleted services.
Here in Sudbury, Health Sciences North has announced it's planning 113 job cuts as it contends with a deficit.
“The Liberals have had 15 years to see the crisis in our hospitals coming,” said Gélinas. “They’ve had 15 years to step up, and address the aging of the population, a change that we could see coming for decades.
“The Premier needs to admit there is a problem. She needs to explain to Ontarians from Kenora to King Street why she isn’t fixing the crisis.”
Ontario New Democrat leader Andrea Horwath recently announced plans to end hallway medicine and reduce wait times that includes, among other initiatives, increasing hospital funding by 5.3 per cent every year to keep pace with growing costs and expanding hospital capacity to meet the growing needs of the province, the press release said.
