(October 29, 2015)<\/p>\n
By\u00a0North Bay Nugget Staff<\/p>\n
The Ontario Health Coalition and its North Bay chapter are gearing up for next month\u2019s Take Back Our Hospital Rally.<\/p>\n
At 9 a.m. Friday, local health patients, seniors, health advocates and hospital workers are expected to endorse the rally at 120 King St. W., outside by the sign for the North Bay Regional Health Centre \u2013 Mental Health Clinic.<\/p>\n
The health coalition and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are organizing the public rally for noon Nov. 30 at Lee Park.<\/p>\n
Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, stated previously the public is concerned about cuts at the North Bay Regional Health Centre, where 158 full-time equivalent jobs are being eliminated.<\/p>\n
Mehra said the recent cuts are among the worst in Ontario.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis routine of unstable funding and continuous cuts has to be stopped,\u201d she said during a teleconference town hall earlier this month in North Bay in which more than 4,300 people participated.<\/p>\n
Mehra said the rally will show hospital executives and politicians at Queen’s Park the community’s strength and commitment to public health care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have got to put pressure on the provincial government. We need more hospital beds and more staff,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mehra said CUPE has won similar battles.<\/p>\n
For example, she said, 60 beds were returned to a Windsor hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cOntario has the lowest number of beds per population, and North Bay is the worst example in the worst province,\u201d stated national CUPE president Paul Moist, who was also in North Bay for this month\u2019s teleconference.<\/p>\n