An open letter to MPP Graydon Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford:
Re: HEALTH CARE CRISIS IN BRACEBRIDGE
Let us start by saying unequivocally, we need to support our health care workers. It must, we hope, be obvious that health care is the most important task that the government has. I’m sure you can agree that it is currently in need of serious repair.
Now the tough part. What are you and the other levels of our elected government going to do about it?
We understand it is a complex problem but that should not deter your efforts to fix it. The massive majority of your constituents are clearly disappointed with the whole state of health care now.
The delay to get the job done, to meet the promise of two hospitals, one in Bracebridge and one in Huntsville, has been a hindrance to a point where the ‘board’ is now having to settle for a seriously flawed plan. With this plan, Bracebridge will get a ‘day care clinic’ at best. No one should mask it by calling it a hospital. You must see the long list of issues this presents; loss of doctors/nurses etc, transportation issues that cause problems, not the least being health risks, family impact, job loss of secondary and tertiary jobs, future growth and viability of the town etc. The list goes on.
Local health care workers have certainly been very vocal about their negative reaction to the plan. Why are you ignoring the sage advice of these front line workers?
Believe us, the response we have received from our postings on various internet sites has been overwhelming. A frequent comment was that people will remember your actions when the next election comes along.
Please don’t ‘pass the buck’ and don’t look for or use the excuse that ‘we don’t have the money’. Where there is a will, there is a way! Stop directing money to other less important tasks. Nothing can be more important than your health and the health of your loved ones.
Look at a way to finance: such as lotteries now in place and others specific to Bracebridge, stage the plan to distribute the cost over time etc.
Finally, why is Huntsville getting the one ‘real’ hospital? Make no mistake, they need it and deserve it too. But the existing plan of one hospital, in its many flawed parts, has forgotten that Bracebridge is the most central of the two communities and has a greater population catchment area ( eg. Gravenhurst nearby etc) and is currently growing quickly.
Please step up and make your voice heard, followed by actions to fix this serious issue.
Sincerely,
Chris and Rayma Blaymires
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Mark Mercer says
Once again the Government of Ontario has let the people of Gravenhurst , Bracebridge and Huntsville down . Please someone step up and call out the Premier Ford and his terrible Government , I have witnessed him and his brother ruin the City of Toronto with broken promises as far as a payout for a National Parts Distributor supplying the City inferior parts for City Vehicles and a loss of City employees and terrible replace employees that are unqualified for the job . Stop this man and his Government of destruction.
Paul Poulin says
The point about Bracebridge being centrally located is moot. Huntsville was chosen to keep having a hospital because it serves populations up to Sundridge and Gravenhurst has access to Orillia hospital. Both Bracebridge and Huntsville deserve a functional hospital.