Protests Ensue
The first few weeks of November have been met with concern from Ontarians. The provincial government under Doug Ford is starting to merge Ontario’s major health agencies, such as Cancer Care Ontario and eHealth, in order to reduce costs and create a “super” agency called Ontario Health. This reduction led to the firing of nine CEOs within the Local Health Integration Networks, which is predicted to save the government $350 million annually. This agency will be in effect as of Dec. 2, and the Ford government has assured healthcare patients and employees that they will not be affected. The chair of the Ontario Health Board, Bill Hatanaka, stated that this merger will be a great opportunity to focus their resources with Ontario’s growing population and aging demographic.
As for their opposition, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath did not hold back on her skepticism on the Ford government’s intentions, stating, “their interest is in cutting costs and the impacts of that be damned.”
On Nov. 11, individuals working with the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), a group that advocates for public health care, protested these reductions in health services and funding. Albert Dupuis, the co-chair of the Ottawa Health Coalition that is affiliated with the OHC, stated his distrust in the Ontario government. “Ontario didn’t vote for this. The government doesn’t have a mandate for what it is doing to our health system.” Dupuis is pointing out that the Ford government had increased funds to hospitals and long-term care, but not at the rate of inflation. This would mean that health institutions, which are already struggling, have more responsibilities and patients but with less funding.
It is unknown how these reductions will affect the efficiency of health agencies long term, however, some problems are arising. Hospitals are already in crisis with a lack of resources to deal with the influx of patients. Dupuis stated that he has witnessed patients being treated in the hallways of hospital emergency rooms due to resource shortages. There have also been reports of cancellations of surgeries, ambulance delays, and waiting lists for long-term care at record high levels. These reductions also trickle down in other areas of public health, such as school nutrition services or dental programs.
Ontario’s current healthcare system is under a lot of tension and has insufficient funding. Ontarians expected improved health care under the Ford government, and they have yet to receive the promised benefits of the cuts being made.