![](\"https:\/\/communities-wcmimages-cache.prod.postmedia.digital\/images?url=https:\/\/nexus.prod.postmedia.digital\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/1017-CA-Coalition.jpg&w=840&h=472\")
<\/p>\n(October 11, 2019)<\/p>\n
By:\u00a0 Trevor Terfloth, Chatham News<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Citing grave concerns with cuts and mergers, health-care advocates are teaming up with labour organizations and First Nations to raise awareness on a larger scale.<\/p>\n
The Ontario Health Coalition held a media conference outside the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre last Thursday to launch its campaign and announce a rally slated for Saturday, Nov. 2, at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre.<\/p>\n
Natalie Mehra, the coalition\u2019s executive director, said \u201cmajor stadium events\u201d at venues in various cities, including Toronto, Sault Ste. Marie and Ottawa, are also planned.<\/p>\n
She said there are worries about the impact of cuts, in particular the amalgamation of Ontario\u2019s 35 public health units into 10 organizations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government needs to hear from people en masse,\u201d Mehra said. \u201cRegardless of political party.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group is also concerned about reductions to hospital funding and ambulance services.<\/p>\n
Mehra said inflationary costs are adding additional pressures and believes municipalities across the province will end up taking the financial hit for many of the cuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what political party people voted for. Nobody voted to cut local public health services,\u201d she said. \u201cThose are the vital health promotion and prevention services in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shirley Roebuck, co-chair of the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition, said centralization doesn\u2019t work and won\u2019t help communities.<\/p>\n
She said the long distances within different jurisdictions in Southwestern Ontario will pose a significant challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re doing this. That\u2019s why we\u2019re fighting extremely hard,\u201d Roebuck said.<\/p>\n
Also attending the campaign launch were representatives from the Chatham-Kent Labour Council, the Ontario Nurses\u2019 Association, Unifor, the Wallaceburg-Walpole Island First Nation Health Coalition, and Save Our Sydenham.<\/p>\n
Karen Bertrand, the nurses\u2019 association vice-president, said critical services will be reduced, adding prevention offered through public health is more effective than treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing that (the province is) doing is evidence based,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Linda Reaume, labour council president, described it as\u201da David and Goliath fight, but we know what happened there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beth-Ann Cook, co-chair for the Wallaceburg-Walpole Island First Nation Health Coalition, said she was also concerned for the next generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not want to see our children lose any services,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A representative for Chatham-Kent\u2013Leamington\u2019s Progressive Conservative MPP, Rick Nicholls, said they were clarifying information with the ministry before they could comment on the health coalition\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n
The Nov. 2 rally starts at 11 a.m.<\/p>\n