The Ford Government continues to forge ahead with their roguish changes to Ontario’s health care system despite the outcry from the public and many public health care authorities.
For decades, Ontarians have had access to one of the premier public health care systems in the world. Now, after years of underfunding and cuts by successive Liberal and Conservative governments, Ontarians requiring treatment and care can look forward to languishing for months on surgical waiting lists. In emergency rooms, they are waiting for hours – only to be moved onto gurneys in hallways in the midst of an ongoing hallway medicine crisis.
Local hospitals are feeling the pinch on the front lines. Both Sault Area Hospital and Health Sciences North have been operating above patient capacity on a regular basis for years. They are forced to make cut after cut and yet are expected to maintain and even improve services to patients.
Now, it looks like Doug Ford is willing to sacrifice a once great health care system as he schemes in the back rooms to help his wealthy friends by paving the way for private for-profit corporations so they can fill their pockets with public tax dollars like never before. “Most Ontarians don’t realize that Ontario spends $62 billion a year on health care,” stated MPP Michael Mantha. “Unfortunately there are some people who are interested in health care, not because they want to help people, but because they’re interested in a nice juicy slice of the $62 billion pie that comes up every year.”
On Tuesday night at a town hall on health care, Andrea Horwath shared the NDP’s vision for better health care explaining that Ontario families deserve health care that is second to none. Our health care system should be driven by people, and the care they need and deserve, not by profits and greed.
Horwath stated, “We envision a future where our public health care system better protects people’s health, including things like prescription drug coverage and dental coverage. We envision a future where the promise of high-quality health care in Ontario doesn’t end if the care you need includes medication, mental health supports or if the pain is in your mouth. And we envision a future where no one should have to empty their wallet or rack up credit card bills in order to get the care they need.”
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