{"id":28574,"date":"2023-04-19T12:05:43","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T16:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=28574"},"modified":"2023-05-24T12:06:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T16:06:35","slug":"citizens-referendum-planned-on-future-of-hospital-services-in-niagara-and-province-wide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/citizens-referendum-planned-on-future-of-hospital-services-in-niagara-and-province-wide\/","title":{"rendered":"Citizens\u2019 referendum planned on future of hospital services in Niagara and province-wide"},"content":{"rendered":"

(April 18th, 2023)<\/p>\n

By Allan Benner, The Standard<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Niagara Health Coalition members are giving residents a chance to share their thoughts about the future of hospitals across the region and province. Coalition members gathered in front of the St. Catharines hospital Tuesday morning to launch its community-run referendum, focusing on provincial plans to increase medical procedures done in private clinics as well as plans for Niagara hospitals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOf all the regions in Ontario in the past few years, Niagara has been the worst hit by restructuring,\u201d said Niagara Health Coalition president Sue Hotte.<\/p>\n

The local coalition is one of about 40 organizations participating in the referendum that fall under the Ontario Health Coalition umbrella.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In addition to a province-wide referendum question regarding Bill 60 \u2014 legislation expected to be considered this week at Queen\u2019s Park increasing the number of surgical and diagnostic procedures conducted in private medical clinics rather than hospitals \u2014 Hotte said the Niagara Health Coalition will add a second referendum question asking: \u201cDo you want all present Niagara hospital sites and services to be protected and enhanced?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fort Erie resident Heather Kelley discussed concerns in her community about Niagara Health plans that will close urgent care centres in Port Colborne and Fort Erie, while reducing services at the Welland hospital when the new hospital in south Niagara Falls opens. \u201cOn a stormy winter day, trying to get in or out of Fort Erie \u2014 it\u2019s just not possible. And the fear is, many of our residents won\u2019t be able to get the help they need,\u201d she said. \u201cYes, they\u2019re building a brand-new hospital in Niagara Falls which may not be accessible to the people in Fort Erie and also the people in Port Colborne \u2026 and Wainfleet, all of these people are travelling on the roads. \u201cThere are just so many issues with the closure,\u201d she said. Kelley said if the province can provide increased funding to private clinics, \u201csurely they can fund the public services that are already there \u2014 already established.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to keep Fort Erie urgent care open and Port Colborne, and we need to keep all of the services that are available in Welland,\u201d she said, adding services should instead be enhanced.<\/p>\n

Niagara Health provided a statement in response to concerns, saying it is \u201ccharting a path forward to transform how we deliver services over the next decade, while increasing our capacity and attracting more healthcare workers to our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOur Transforming Care plan will build a leading, modern and responsive health system across three cornerstone hospitals in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland, and support our work with municipalities on addressing healthcare gaps in south Niagara,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThis plan allows us to provide the right care at the right time, for every person in the Niagara region, and at its core is focused on providing acute and emergency services to all residents of Niagara. We look forward to hearing directly from the community ourselves in the coming months to discuss and gather feedback on the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The plans are also expected to help Niagara Health address staff shortages. \u201cExpanding and modernizing infrastructure, like the new Niagara South hospital, is a critical part of attracting talent, increasing capacity, and transforming service delivery,\u201d the statement said. Minister of Health press secretary Hannah Jensen said the new south Niagara hospital will have 159 more beds than the combined total at the current Port Colborne, Fort Erie and Niagara Falls facilities, while the Welland hospital will \u201coffer a new model of 24\/7 emergency services,\u201d as well as diagnostic services.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Regarding Bill 60, Jensen said, \u201cPremier (Doug) Ford and Minister (Sylvia) Jones have been clear, Ontarians will always access our healthcare system with their OHIP card, not their credit card,\u201d she said. \u201cOur government knows wait times for surgeries and diagnostic tests have been increasing year after year. We are not okay with the status quo and know more work needs to be done.\u201d She said the government has so far had 41 deputations in-person or by zoom and over 400 written submissions on the legislation. Hotte said at least 40 voting stations will be set up throughout Niagara on May 26 and 27 for the referendum \u2014 at grocery stores, doctors offices, pharmacies, \u201cmarkets, malls and many other stores.\u201d \u201cWe want to meet people where they are, on the streets,\u201d she said, adding voting stations will be set up in each of Niagara\u2019s 12 municipalities. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

People will also have an opportunity to vote in the referendum online starting May 2, at publichospitalvote.ca<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re having a great response. People are coming forward to help in every which way they can,\u201d Hotte said, adding volunteers have been pitching in to help secure voting locations and helping prepare for the referendum. She said a list of voting locations in Niagara will be provided once they\u2019re finalized, while more than 1,000 locations for voting stations have already been secured across the province.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, referendums are also being set up in workplaces throughout Niagara, with most taking place between May 8 and 19. An advance referendum was also held at Brock University earlier this month, giving students an opportunity to cast ballots before their semester ended for the year.<\/p>\n

Hotte said the referendum is open to voters 16 years old and up, and they\u2019re \u201casking people to take the voters pledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey will be signing off that they\u2019re only voting once, so we try to maintain the integrity of the vote,\u201d she said. Following the referendum, Hotte said coalition members will \u201cwork like the devil to make sure all those votes are counted.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOn May 31, guess what Premier Ford, we\u2019re coming with all those ballot boxes. We want to show you that people are very concerned about Bill 60, about this legislation to privatize our health care system,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Coalition member Helen Hamilton said they\u2019re hoping to fill two school buses with ballot boxes, and deliver them to Queen\u2019s park. \u201cIt affects everybody. There\u2019s nobody in Ontario that this doesn\u2019t affect,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are not voting, you are not participating in this. This is huge. \u2026 Get out and support our health care system that we are world-renowned for.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Click here for original article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(April 18th, 2023) By Allan Benner, The Standard   Niagara Health Coalition members are giving residents a chance to share their thoughts about the future of hospitals across the region and province. 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