Former P3 VP from Superbuild becomes deputy minister of health

Saäd Rafi, the former deputy minister of energy and infrastructure, has been named the new deputy minister for health and long term care. Rafi has had a number of portfolios with government – none of them health-care related. They include serving as deputy minister for transportation and deputy minister for community safety. Seconded to the Ontario Superbuild Corporation, he was vice-president for public-private partnerships. P3s have been a growing concern in healthcare as the government  continues to sign private contracts to build and manage more than 30 hospital projects. The William Osler Hospital, one of the first P3s in Ontario, was found to cost the public almost $500 million more as a P3 than had it been developed under traditional public procurement. This was later confirmed by the Ontario auditor. Rafi may have a steep learning curve into the complexities of Ontario’s public health system. This is in deep contrast to former deputy health minister Ron Sapsford, who came to the position after serving as chief operating officer for the Ontario Hospital Association and Hamilton Health Sciences. Sapsford also held a Masters degree in health administration from the University of Ottawa.