(May 25, 2005)<\/p>\n
Ontario Health Coalition<\/strong><\/p>\n 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 305, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Y8 May 25, 2005\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n For Immediate Release<\/strong><\/p>\n Attn: Assignment Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n Up to 23 New Hospitals to Be Privatized Under Government\u2019s 5-Year Infrastructure Plan:<\/strong> Toronto\/St. Catharines<\/strong> \u2013 Today the Ontario government released its 5-Year privatization plan for the province\u2019s hospitals. The Plan was released on the heels of the launch of a major anti-P3 plebiscite in St. Catharines to keep the community\u2019s new hospital public. The plebiscite is the first in a series planned for communities across Ontario where hospital projects are at risk of privatization.<\/p>\n The government\u2019s plan, called \u201cReNew Ontario 2005 \u2013 2010\u201d – available at http:\/\/www.pir.gov.on.ca \u2013 sets out the following plan for hospitals:<\/p>\n \u201cThe government is planning the unprecedented privatization of up to 23 hospitals across Ontario,\u201d said Natalie Mehra coalition coordinator. \u201cHealth coalitions across the province are moving into high gear to defend our community hospitals from privatization. This week we have launched a P3 plebiscite in St. Catharines. Next week we will hold cross-province press conferences and launch a major new Toronto P3 campaign. We will continue until the government keeps its election promise \u201cNurses, teachers, hospital workers, seniors, community members and students joined together this week to launch the first community-wide stop-P3 plebiscite. Our goal is to get tens of thousands of community members to vote on June 25 to keep our St. Catharines hospital public,\u201d said Sue Hotte, Niagara Health Coalition co chair. \u201cOur community believes in public services \u2013 not in health care for profit. We voted for change in the last election and we will not stand by and allow the privatization of our hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMinister Caplan has skewed the facts and ignored overwhelming evidence in his attempt to justify this privatization for which he has no public mandate\u201d, noted Dora Jeffries, coalition co chair. \u201cThe government would have us believe that private companies are going to give billions of dollars, take the majority of the risk and give up control of the assets for which they have paid. These claims are beyond credibility. In fact, the global experience with P3s is that they are more expensive, lead to cuts in services, and result in expensive legal disputes and loss of public control. Our communities will suffer while multinational corporations take millions out of our health system for their own profit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\ntel: 416-441-2502 fax: 416-441-4073 email: ohc@sympatico.ca www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca<\/p>\n
\nCoalition Launches Major Plebiscite to Keep Hospitals Public<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\nand stops the privatization of our hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n