NIAGARA HEALTH COALITION
PRESS RELEASE
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The Ontario Budget contains bad news for health care. Overall health funding increases are less than population growth and inflation and do not cover aging and increased utilization costs.Our hospitals will continue to be underfunded, have longer wait times and operate at over 100 per cent capacity. There is not enough money in the new budget to deal with the current needs in long-term care. The new bill dealing with long term care puts more residents at risk.
The Health Act shows that the Ford government is planning to try significant health care privatization on a huge array of health care services including hospitals, long-term care, home care, cancer care, health records, community mental health and addiction services, community care services, palliative care, community health centres, non-profit primary care, laboratory and air ambulances and more. Most of the members on the Super Agency Board which will oversee health services in Ontario and in Niagara will direct the mergers, transfers of services, closures of all other aspects of health care delivery have a direct interest in health care privatization.
In addition to the above - the following actions have been announced:
1. Public health units are being reduced from 35 to 10. Who will service Niagara ?
2. Plans were announced to merge and cut ambulance services from 59 to 10. How will this impact the excellent ambulance service we now have?
3. Funding for the Ontario College of Midwives has been cut.
4. Cut OHIP plus funding.
5. Cut Planned mental health funding by more than $300 million.
6. Cut funding for dementia strategy.
7. Let surge funding run out for hospital overcrowding, Surge beds are now closed without replacement despite the overcrowding crisis.
8.Cut and restructured autism funding.
Rapid change with no clear detailed plan and little input from health professionals and residents will make for a very chaotic health system.
Who: Niagara Health Coalition, Ontario Health Coalition
Where: Queen's Park Toronto
When: Tuesday, April 30
Time: 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Niagara Bus schedule: 9:00 a.m. Welland Market
9:30 a.m. Go bus stop St. Catharines (Fairview Mall)
10:00 a.m. Go bus stop Grimsby ( Casablanca and South Service road)
All residents are invited to participate in the rally. To reserve a seat please email [email protected]
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