MUSKOKA NOT ALONE IN HOSPITAL FIGHT. TRUST, TRANSPARENCY JUST PART OF PROVINCE-WIDE BATTLE ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION HEARING WAS TOLD TODAY
Lois Cooper | MuskokaTODAY.com
BRACEBRIDGE — The Ontario Health Coalition held a public hearing here today as it develops recommendations for the future of local hospitals — including small, rural and northern communities like Muskoka.
Several residents made presentations.
Also in attendance were Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner; France Gélinas, NDP MPP for Nickel Belt and Official Opposition Critic for Health, as well as her Liberal counterpart Dr. Adil Shamji, MPP for Don Valley East. He also attended OHC hearings in Barrie this afternoon.
Schreiner and Gelinas sat together at the meeting head table. They aren’t members of the non-partisan OHC. Shamji arrived shortly after the 9-11 a.m. meeting began at the Royal Canadian Legion in Bracebridge, June 11.
More than two dozen citizens attended — in addition to another dozen OHC members and media.
The hearing was mostly and listening exercise with little back and forth with the floor.
Local presenters referred to the promise made during the 2018 provincial election campaign by Premier Doug Ford that residents of Muskoka need not worry about the future of their hospitals as he promised two fully-functioning hospitals — one in Huntsville and one in Bracebridge — each funded by the province with $1-billion.
Clearly this is not a local issue, as stated by the Conservative Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, who told The Toronto Star in a front page story last week when asked about MAHC’s local hospital plans that have divided the community.
Muskoka Algonquin Health Care (MAHC) hired Deloitte Canada in 2018-19 to form a plan for the one hospital — two sites as promised by Ford. This was completed with public and staff participation.
That detailed Deloitte plan came up with a recommendation for two sites in South Muskoka and Huntsville.
The question being asked now is where is the Deloitte plan?
Why are the documents from Deloitte not publicly available when requested?
Did the Deloitte plan place extensions to the present South Memorial Hospital site where MAHC purchased acreage in the 1980-’90s.
Other questions continue to abound about MAHC transparency and trust.
Such as ….
Did MAHC purchase the two rows of wartime housing adjacent to the present hospital? Does MHAC still own those properties?
Finally, who has the power to make this information public?
The answer to that big question remains to be seen — if not at least heard.
Many from the public wore Green t-shirts. Party member and former riding president Arleight Luckett spoke about the significant impact on South Muskoka or belonged to the Save South Muskoka Hospital support group who attended an OHC-sponsored rally at Queen’s Park last week.
As did Lorraine Etler, who spoke emotionally about her sister’s recent death while coping with hospital challenges. She carried a photo of her for tangible proof while addressing the hearing.
She also brought a poster promoting another June 23, 1 p.m., SSMH rally at Bracebridge’s Memorial Park. They want an even larger crowd than their last one there a month ago. In addition they will also be outside at a MAHC board meeting the following day to carry on their message for ‘Care Close to Home.’
And SSMH member Peter Cross was helping OHC to gather signatures for their petition to the province calling for improved provincial health and hospital care at dozens of hospitals as well as preventing loss of life. It also wants the Minden ER to reopen.
In an email statement reply to MuskokaTODAY.com this afternoon, Gelinas said: “Healthcare is a program that defines us as Ontarians, we receive care according to our needs not on our ability to pay. This morning in Bracebridge, I could hear in the presentations the fears the community is feeling. Premier Ford promised two hospitals in the last election but the hospital in Bracebridge is at risk of closing…
“This is a well-grounded fear given the closures we’ve seen in other corners of the province. Minden lost their hospital a year ago, Dundas in Bruce Gray is currently losing their emergency room. This is an enormous stress on the community.
“It is encouraging to see so many people activated and motivated to push back against the government’s decision to cut services in rural area hospitals. The people of South Muskoka are speaking out and organizing and putting Minister Smith on the hot seat so he speaks up to protect his communities needs. Ontario’s official opposition NDP are ready to amplify those voices and put them in front of Premier Ford and his government.”
Schreiner also responded, adding that: “At today’s hearing, we heard from community members who are feeling the effects of this government’s chronic underfunding of our public healthcare system and the people who keep it running.
“The Ford government is choosing booze over beds and highways over healthcare, and the result is that communities are being pitted against each other as they scramble for scarce healthcare resources.”
EMAIL: [email protected]
30 years of TRUSTED ‘Local Online Journalism’
SINCE MAY 20, 1994
Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1
SUBSCRIBE for $30 by e-transferring to [email protected]
Mail cheque to MuskokaTODAY.com Box 34 Gravenhurst, Ont. P1P 1T5
And include your email address to get stories sent directly to your inbox
