April 9, 2024
From Right to Luxury: Ford’s Policies Destroying Rural Ontario’s Healthcare
QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Health critic France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) released the following statement highlighting the horrendous state of healthcare in rural and Northern Ontario under the leadership of Premier Ford:
“After six years, Premier Ford’s neglect has plunged Northern Ontario’s healthcare into a crisis state with no signs of improvement. In Sault Ste. Marie, 10,000 people will lose access to healthcare next month. With 280 emergency room closures and 1200 hospital service shutdowns, rural and northern Ontario are bearing the brunt of Ford’s underfunding and neglect.
“In Elmvale, Springwater, the community was on the brink of gaining access to much-needed healthcare, with a doctor ready to open a shop. However, the health minister denied their proposal, dashing their hopes and leaving elderly seniors without timely access to care.
“Access to care, once considered a fundamental right, has become a luxury. It’s a shameful legacy for this government, which has done so little to address this crisis, setting our healthcare system back decades.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. The NDP and Ontarians know we have solutions. It’s time for Ford’s Conservatives to step up today and fulfill their duty to the people of rural and Northern Ontario by investing in our healthcare system.”