The Kingston chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition hosted a public call on Friday, Feb. 25, to raise alarms about the growing privatization of the provincial health-care system under the Conservative government.<\/p>\n
Among the examples of creeping privatization, speakers cited the growth of private hospitals, the clawback of OHIP+ and the reliance of the province on private sector partners such as Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart in developing the COVID-19 testing and vaccination response.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n According to Randy Robinson, the Ontario director for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, these arguments do not stand up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been hearing that the government doesn\u2019t have the capital to invest in things like long-term care and, therefore, we have to bring in private investment,\u201d Robinson explained Friday.<\/p>\n However, Robinson points out that \u201cthe government has almost infinite capacity to raise capital, and always at lower prices than the private sector can,\u201d suggesting that not only can the government raise the required money, but that ultimately it would be at a lower cost to the taxpayer.<\/p>\n In addition to public development being less expensive to begin with, Robinson points out that the profit motive of private companies add an extra cost to privately funded projects.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2014, the (Ontario) auditor did a study of 74 private infrastructure projects. She found that the infrastructure projects were developed at a profit, and then somehow the companies found a way to give themselves a 28 per cent tip on top of that,\u201d Robinson said.<\/p>\n According to the Kingston Health Coalition, the impact of privatized health-care services can be seen in the quality of health care Ontarians receive.<\/p>\n \u201cCompared to other provinces on a per capita basis, we have the lowest health-care funding. We also have the lowest hospital funding, the fewest hospital beds and the fewest registered nurses, so not too much to be proud of in that area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n According to Brooks, health-care workers in privately run long-term homes were allotted only six minutes on average to care for each patient.<\/p>\n \u201cSix \u2014 that\u2019s the number of minutes we had to ready each resident, from wakeup right through to breakfast. This includes gently waking our residents, washing them, dressing them, grooming them, allowing them time to use the washroom, transferring them to a wheelchair and taking them down to breakfast,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cThese big chains were making money for their shareholders every quarter on the backs of the sick, the elderly and the staff, though poor working conditions, poor staff ratios and poor wages remain.\u201d<\/p>\n For patients, Brooks said the impact of this fragile system became clear once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. A study by the Ontario Science Table in January 2021 found that for-profit nursing homes had 78 per cent more deaths than non-profit homes.<\/p>\n While the Ontario Health Coalition and it\u2019s regional chapters will continue to push back against the growing privatization of health care, Jardin is urging Ontarians to consider asking for more.<\/p>\n \u201cI want (the health-care system) expanded to include pharmacare, dental care, vision care and mental health care supports. People need these services,\u201d Joan Jardin of the Kingston Health Coalition said.<\/p>\n