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<\/p>\n(October 16th, 2019)<\/p>\n
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By: Bruce Corcoran, The Chatham Voice<\/p>\n
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Shirley Roebuck, co-chair of the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition, speaks to reporters Oct. 10 as Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, looks on. They and others criticized the provincial government over the idea of reducing the number of public health units and EMS organizations in Ontario, and called on the public to join rallies across the province.<\/em><\/p>\n Health-care advocates and local labour representatives question the Doug Ford government over proposed mergers of public health units and EMS services.<\/p>\n At a media conference on Oct. 10, Shirley Roebuck, co-chair of the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition, wondered where the provincial government got its advice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe government is receiving bad advice,\u201d she said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense when you think of community needs.\u201d<\/p>\n She said public health units provide a plethora of services to the public, including immunization, combating infectious diseases, aiding in infant health, and more.<\/p>\n Roebuck believes centralization of such services \u2013 the province is considering going from 35 health units down to 10 \u2013 would remove local governance over such agencies, something she said is needed.<\/p>\n Roebuck said the proposed changes to ambulance services is even greater, as the province would go from 49 local EMS services to 10, and go from 22 dispatch centres down to 10 as well.<\/p>\n \u201cOur EMS would probably be run out of London,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m afraid rural needs would be placed in a second tier to cities.\u201d<\/p>\n She added London-area hospitals are so busy that ambulances can be lined up outside, waiting for beds to free up so they can deliver their patients. With a centralized ambulance service, Roebuck fears if there is a need in or near London, they would task Chatham-Kent ambulances to cover, leaving us short.<\/p>\n Roebuck wasn\u2019t alone at the press conference. Representatives from the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Wallaceburg Walpole Island First Nation Health Coalition (WWIFNHC), the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA), Save Our Sydenham (SOS) and local labour associations attended.<\/p>\n Natalie Mehra, executive director of the OHC, said the plan is to hold \u201cstadium-filling events\u201d in various parts of the province to inform the public and to loudly protest the proposed changes.<\/p>\n The first such event is slated for Nov. 2, right here in Chatham at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are life-saving services that are vital to the community,\u201d Mehra said. \u201cThe government needs to hear from the people en masse.\u201d<\/p>\n She asks people to attend Nov. 2, to \u201cstand up and protect local health services.\u201d<\/p>\n The meeting is set to start at 11 a.m.<\/p>\n For more information or to volunteer, those interested can contact Roebuck at 226-402-2724<\/p>\n