September 12, 2011

Ontario health care system is falling short of meeting people’s needs – Brian Dougherty

RENFREW: NDP candidate Brian Dougherty is concerned about the effect on families in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke of the erosion of local health care under Liberals and Conservatives.

The Arnrprior electrician and father of two says people are telling him they are frustrated because Ontario’s health care system is falling short of meeting their needs. “Services are being cut as the system becomes more inaccessible for many vulnerable Ontarians,” he said after meeting with area residents at the Renfew Fair and at Bonnechere Manor this weekend. “The government is placing profit before people and people are being hurt as a result.”

Dougherty is pleased with the recent endorsement of the Ontario Health Coalition because his is the only party promising to end the privatization in home care. “Andrea Horwath is clear that all tax dollars spent on health care should go into care not corporate profits,” he said.

The last Conservative government under Mike Harris “decimated the home care program by introducing ’competitive bidding,’” said Dougherty. “This forced workers to be laid off and have to reapply for jobs that they had been doing for years. Their wages dropped and company profits soared. Small local agencies were outbid by multinational health corporations. Dalton McGuinty not only continued the practice but extended it.

“And Tim Hudak says he will privatize health care to the lowest bidder. That’s definitely not the kind of change we need.”

At least $500 million dollars is being taken out of direct care to manage this privatization, he said. “This money can be used to help with enhancing the supports that the publicly funded home care system provides today - which means more respite hours for families, help with housekeeping and increased therapy, nursing and personal support. Right now, however, cuts to home support are leaving family caregivers desperate and forcing hospitals to keep patients longer, at great public expense.”

A local source of waste and frustation in the health system is the imposition of management agencies known as LHINs by the McGuinty government. “This took control away from people in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke and threw us into the giant Champlain region, which extends through the City of Ottawa down to the St. Lawrence.” The NDP has pledged to scrap the LHINs, place a moratorium on hospital cuts and impose caps on hospital administrative and executive salaries.

Meanwhile, 900,000 Ontarians, including thousands in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke don’t have either a family doctor or nurse-practitioner to see when they need help or to help them maintain good health, he said.  Pointing to more than 2,045 nursing jobs eliminated in hospitals across the province in the past 12 months alone, he asked “Why hasn’t the government followed through on their promise to hire 9,000 nurses and implement 25 nurse practitioner-led clinics?” The NDP would ensure all Ontarians have primary health care providers by investing in community health centres, midwifery services, and nurse practitioner clinics.

“Our plan would fund 50 new family health care clinics by 2015 and address doctor shortages by forgiving student debt of new doctors who practice in under-serviced communities like ours. It makes sense and it’s affordable. Our plan enables us pay for these changes by ending privatization and corporate tax giveaways,” he said.

“You can trust the party of Tommy Douglas, the father of medicare, to strengthen and enhance this important Canadian treasure,” said Dougherty.

Brian Dougherty talks about health care issues at the Bonnechere Manor in Renfrew with Sarah Wright, a personal support worker from Pembroke.

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