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The speakers, who were heartily supported by the crowd, said that the Ontario government must reverse hospital layoffs, like the 40 jobs being cut at the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC). One union official at the open house says these cuts are costing lives.
Mike Turgeon, president of CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) Local 139, addressed the comments made by the Health Minister Sylvia Jones, who described the NBRHC job cuts as “appropriate.”
“It is not appropriate for a cabinet minister to be deeming it as appropriate. People are losing their lives, their limbs, people are getting ‘hallway medicine,’ so, no, it is not appropriate,” said Turgeon.
Echoing Turgeon’s comments was Nathalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition.
“How a health minister could possibly describe cuts in that context is outrageous. People should be livid. This is a hospital that is understaffed and overcrowded. It is run at unsafe levels of crowding. It is not based on reason; it is a stupid, unreasonable thing to say,” says Mehra.
At the Davedi Club, they were speaking to a large group of supporters. Those ears belonged to people who agreed with their opinion on Ontario healthcare. It’s getting the attention of hundreds of thousands or even millions of Ontarians, and their message must resonate. How do they plan to win many more hearts and minds?
“I think people know that the North Bay hospital has lost a range of services that used to be here. People may not know that it is a political choice that Ontario has chosen to fund its hospitals at the lowest (per capita) rate in the country. Every other province does better than we do in hospital funding,” says Mehra.
“Those kinds of messages need to get out.”
Turgeon says other messages need to get out.
“I have been told that (at the NBRHC) people have received care in bathtub areas that have been converted into patient care areas.”
The CUPE Local 139 president wants people to get active and is telling the government that health care in Ontario must improve.
“The only way we are going to get things to change is by those people on the fence and unsure about what they can do is to take action. They need to send emails to the Health Minister and the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (Nipissing MPP), Vic Fedeli. People must voice their displeasure with how health care is being run now, and show up to our rally on Dec. 22 at Vic Fedeli’s constituency office (10 a.m. start time) to help drive that message home,” says Turgeon.
Betty Dean was a member of the public who wanted to hear from those working in health care. Dean has her own thoughts on how the government is handling the health care file.
“The government is not spending its money wisely. There are millions of dollars going to projects which would be better spent on hospital care,” says Dean.
Past North Bay and District Labour Council President Henri Giroux, who was in attendance, says health care is for everyone and must remain that way.
“Health care is a human right. If we don’t fight for health care now and allow what is happening now to continue, what are we to say to our children and grandchildren? Our parents and grandparents fought for public health care, and we can’t sit back and let it go private,” says Giroux.
An official from the Ministry of Health offered this response to some of the statements made at the Tuesday night open house with a statement of its own.
“Hospitals across Ontario are required to plan in a way that supports patients and ensures long-term stability. This year, our government is investing $91 billion in healthcare, including an additional $1 billion for hospitals. For the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC), this includes a $49.3 million increase in annual funding since 2020, representing a nearly 20% increase. We will continue working with NBRHC to ensure it has the resources needed to provide high-quality care to patients.”
