November 29, 2022
Ford Government’s Stalling on Emergency Services Leaves Ontarians Waiting
This morning during question period MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) asked the Premier what Ontario was doing to improve emergency services across Ontario.
“Lately in the City of Greater Sudbury, 40% of a paramedic’s time is spent waiting to offload patients to Health Sciences North overcrowded emergency department. The City of Greater Sudbury is huge, if an ambulance and the paramedics are stuck at the hospital, that leaves the good people of Beaver Lake, Wahnapitae First Nation or Levack up to one hour away from emergency services.
Does the Premier think it is OK to leave the people of my riding waiting up to one hour for paramedical emergency care to arrive?’’ Gélinas asked.
Greater Sudbury Paramedic Services is responsible for seamless coverage of approximately 9,221 square kilometres and respond to about 32,000 calls per year. They provide pre-hospital care for illness and injury, community Paramedicine, medical assistance at large events and gatherings, community outreach and education.
“Paramedic effectiveness is directly linked to the quality of the dispatch system which sends them to the call. Did you know that Ontario is the only province that doesn’t have 911 everywhere? Every year in my riding people in distress find that out 911 is not available. The paramedics are there but you need to dial a 1-800 number that nobody knows.
When is the premier going to modernize our province’s emergency dispatch system to ensure 911 service is available everywhere in Ontario?”
A 2018 Coroner’s Jury Inquest recommended modernization of Ontario’s 9-1-1 system in the interest of saving lives; many areas in Ontario still require the dialing of a different 10-digit number to access fire, police or paramedic services.