From the Ontario Health Coalition:
In response to more than 1,200 closures of emergency departments and other local hospital services over the last year, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is holding public hearings across Ontario to develop recommendations for the future of our local hospitals, including small, rural and northern community hospitals. Mid size or larger local hospitals will be included where they are at risk of closure.
The hearings are an opportunity for patients and community residents, service agencies, patient advocacy groups, concerned citizens, municipal leaders, health care professionals and others to provide their thoughts.
The results of the hearings will be collected in a report with recommendations on how to protect and improve, especially small and rural, local hospitals.
Hearings will be open to all Ontario residents. They will be held with both online (Zoom) and in-person options so everyone can attend and participate. People may submit written or spoken statements on their experiences and concerns to an expert, non-partisan panel.
The deadline to register to make a verbal presentation at their local hearing is Friday, June 7 at 5 p.m. Presenters will be able to speak for a maximum of seven minutes. The deadline for written submissions is Thursday, June 20 at 5 p.m.
“These hearings are a chance for people in rural and northern Ontario to share their experiences and to safeguard and improve our local hospitals, especially those at risk of closures,” said Brenda Scott, chair of the Coalition’s small, rural & local hospital committee. “We want to hear what has been cut, what if anything has improved, and what is needed to improve equity, save our hospitals and improve health care for rural Ontario.”
“Decisions about our local hospitals have been removed from the local communities that have funded and relied upon them for generations,” added Natalie Mehra, executive director of the OHC. “Residents in these areas deserve the opportunity to share their concerns and influence decisions that will impact them.”
The expert panel includes:
- Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition
- Brenda Scott, Chair of Small and Rural Hospital Committee with Ontario Health Coalition and Co-chair of Grey Bruce Health Coalition
- France Gélinas, NDP Health Critic and MPP for Nickel Belt (Ontario New Democratic Party)
- Adil Shamji, Liberal Health Critic and MPP for Don Valley East (Ontario Liberal Party)
- Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario and MPP for Guelph (Green Party of Ontario)
- Graham Webb, Lawyer and Executive Director of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
- Additional doctors, nurses, health care worker leaders, and health professionals.
Here is the list of hearings. Everyone is welcome to attend. To make a verbal presentation and give your input at the hearings, you must register here: https://bit.ly/ohc-june2024.
| Tuesday, June 11 9-11 a.m. | Bracebridge and Muskoka |
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 161,
168 Muskoka Rd. Bracebridge Or join by Zoom at
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81174304511
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Michael Webb says
I am shocked! I have been so news wrapped up in our own local hospital issue that I had no idea that 1200+ emergency rooms and services across Ontario have been lost in the last year. I’m sure this lack of knowledge is not just mine either. Doug Ford and his Conservative buddies are running rampant across our province with promises of beer and LCBO changes resulting in job losses, giving Service Ontario locations to Staples, Green Belt gifts to speculator donors…and the list goes on and on.
Hospitals and healthcare are part of the foundation of what used to be what separated us from our US neighbours which was envied by most Americans. It’s almost too late to halt this drip, drip away but we need to do something NOW before losing even more to this regime.