(May 18, 2016)<\/p>\n
By: Jim Blake, Chatham Voice<\/p>\n
Ontarians who are upset about the level of health-care funding are being urged to participate in a province-wide referendum on health care cuts from now through May 28.<\/p>\n
Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, said the referendum will ask residents to vote yes or no to the statement: \u201cOntario\u2019s government must stop the cuts to our community hospitals and restore services, funding and staff to meet our communities\u2019 needs for care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mehra said Ontario is heading into its ninth consecutive year of real-dollar budget cuts to community hospitals\u2019 global budgets.<\/p>\n
\u201cOntario is second-last in Canada for public hospital funding,\u201d she said. \u201cThe cuts have come in every conceivable area.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the multi-layered health bureaucracies drain millions of dollars from front-line patient care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have layers upon layers of extremely-well paid people who siphon off valuable dollars in administration, money that would be better spent serving patients,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mehra said the OHC\u2019s goal is to have thousands of ballots across the province during the next few weeks, leading up to the final vote.<\/p>\n
Mehra, who had sharp words for the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance plans to close the emergency department, said local residents will have a second question should they choose to answer it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re asking a yes or no on the statement \u2018Ontario\u2019s government must stop the closure of Sydenham District Hospital\u2019s Emergency Department and restore funding, services and staff to meet our communities\u2019 needs for care.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n