'Stop the cuts' to health care, Gélinas demands

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas accused the Liberal government Monday of undermining Ontario's health-care system with “cuts and privatization.”

Gélinas, who is the NDP's health critic, referred to a rally last week organized by the social action group Council for Canadians, which accused the province of cutting health-care spending and privatizing some services.

She also referred to a recent report by Health Quality Ontario that found, compared to 10 countries including the U.S. and Britain, Ontario has the worst performance when it comes to seeing a physician.

“Two-thirds of patients with mental illness never get their one-week follow up with a physician after discharge from hospital,” Gélinas said, speaking in the Ontario Legislature. “And our province’s most-frail seniors wait an average of 111 days for the long-term care they need.”

In response, Health Minister Eric Hoskins, denied the province is cutting funding. He said they have moved “certain low-risk procedures into the community closer to home where people want them.

“We only do it with organizations that are not-for-profit entities, Mr. Speaker,” Hoskins said. “What the member opposite is saying is just not true … We have approximately doubled the funding to our hospitals across this province in the last 10 years.

“It's important that we, all of us, that we are accountable for what we say and we speak to the facts and we don't make things up.”

But Gélinas said the numbers are clear. Health Quality Ontario’s annual report showed a declining number of registered nurses, decreasing influenza immunization rates for seniors, and an increase in median wait times for residents waiting in hospital for long-term care.

“The minister of health tries to deny the reality, but patients are feeling the pain,” she said. “When will the minister get the message and stop the cuts and privatization that are undermining patient care?”