Residents upset about recent cuts to healthcare funding in London will have a chance to vent their grievances on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The London Health Coalition will host a town hall meeting at the N\u2019Amerind Friendship Centre at 260 Colborne Street at 12p.m.<\/p>\n
Officials are hopeful government and hospital officials will attend, but aren\u2019t holding their breath.<\/p>\n
Coalition Co-Chair Peter Bergmanis believes the government hasn\u2019t embraced a collaborative approach to healthcare funding.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly the Ontario Health Coalition and locally the London Health Coalition have been very disappointed as to how this current government of the Wynne administration has not been listening to what our suggestions have been as to trying to put patients first,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said the cuts have made a significant impact in the lives of people the province.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the mentally ill patients waiting for days on end just to be seen and if they\u2019re lucky admitted,\u201d said Bergmanis. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t take much to sort out that in the last 20 years we\u2019ve lost over 2,000 hospital beds in the city of London alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bergmanis added that the London Health Coalition estimates that local hospitals have suffered over $100 million decline in government funding, $37.9 million in fiscal 2015-16 alone.<\/p>\n
The town hall meeting is scheduled to last for two hours and is free to attend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n