Gélinas “Small and Rural Hospitals waiting for promised funding”

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas rose in the Legislature Wednesday afternoon to share the concerns of the province’s small and rural hospitals. “It is my pleasure to share with the House an issue happening in all of our small and rural hospitals.
The small and rural hospitals are the ones that serve many of the people in my riding, in rural areas and in northern areas. They were promised a 2% increase in their budget. Unfortunately, they continue to receive the same amount as what they were receiving in the previous year, although they have signed accountability agreements that clearly showed a budget that with a 2% increase. But they are not getting this money.

Another problem that you will remember, Speaker, is that there is $20 million going into small and rural hospitals for the innovation funds. Those funds also come with contracts that the hospitals have signed. The hospitals are working on those projects. Unfortunately, this money is also not flowing.

I have had the pleasure to ask the Minister of Health for help on this issue. I am hoping that help will come soon, because we have close to 50 little hospitals right now that are wondering if the agreements that they have signed with the government will be honoured or if they will all be looking at deficit budgets.”