PC Health Critic Christine Elliott compared the PC record on creating long term care beds with the McGuinty record. She said between 1995 and 2003 the PC government had created 20,000 new long term care beds and refurbished 16,000 more. Health Minister Deb Matthews said the McGuinty government has opened almost 8,000 new long term care beds, and is committed to adding another 2,000 beds in 10 communities this year. Matthews said they were building 35,000 beds over the next 10 years.
Party Donations and LHIN appointments
Liberal MPP Charles Sousa rose in defense of LHIN appointees, pointing out that Barry Monaghan, who had come under fire last week for earning two LHIN paycheques in a single year, had previously donated to a Conservative MPP. Tory Leader Tim Hudak had accused the government of stacking the LHINs with Liberal party donors.
Palliative Care
NDP leader Andrea Horwath asked questions about shortages of palliative care in the Ottawa region. “We’ve been reminded … that it’s not just dollars and cents that our health care system needs; it’s common sense and innovation. Building palliative care capacity improves the system and save money.” Minister Deb Matthew highlighted past funding for palliative care and said the government was investing $29 million for “an end-of-life-care strategy.” The question was in response to Dr. José Pereira’s call for more palliative care a the Champlain LHIN. (See story on BLOG)
Children’s Mental Health
PC MPP Peter Shurman said he met with representatives from York Region’s children’s mental health agencies, who said their situation was desperate. Current funding allowed them to accommodate 16 per cent of identified need. Shurman said York Region only received $127 per child compared to $221 in the rest of the GTA. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Hamilton and Niagara families faced the longest waits for children’s mental health – 68 days on average compared to 17 days in the rest of the province. Minister Laurel Broten spoke broadly about past government investments in children’s mental health, stating they were the first to give a base increase in over a decade – in 2004/05. They added another $24.5 million in 2007/08. Broten said “we are not scared of these issues.”
Home Care
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath asked the government why they are not ending competitive bidding once and for all. “Since competitive bidding was introduced more than a decade ago, the quality of home care has suffered, working conditions have diminished and costs have increased. Ontario is the only province in the entire country with a full competitive bidding system for home care, and even within Ontario no other part of the health system uses competitive bidding.” Health Minister Deb Matthews said the province was committed to providing stability for health care workers. Beyond increasing the minimum wage for personal support workers at a cost of $30 million, Matthews never indicated how the government would provide that stability.
Diagnostic Imaging
Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi gave the health minister an opportunity to speak about investing in MRI access in the Ottawa area. Ottawa had one of the longest wait times for MRI access in the province. The Ottawa Hospital, while shedding jobs this week, did get a new MRI machine in January. Meanwhile NDP Health Critic France Gelinas introduced a petition calling for a PET scan to be made available through the Sudbury Regional Hospital.
Hospital Funding
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused the government of announcing $14 million in new funding to “plug a hole in the Niagara Health System’s budget” to divert attention from closing emergency rooms in Fort Erie and Port Colborne. She also raised the byelection bailout in Toronto of the Grace Hospital. “Will this minister continue to play cynical politics with Ontario hospital funding?” The Minister said they were working with the LHINs to determine where additional funding was needed.
Rural incentives
PC MPP John O’Toole introduced a petition asking that the McGuinty government not reduce or eliminate financial incentives rural communities and small towns need to attract and retain doctors.
Quote of the Week
Quote of the Week: Accusing the McGuinty Liberals of playing politics with hospital funding in Niagara and Toronto, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath quipped: “If this was an Olympic event, they’d call it freestyle hospital funding.”
OPSEU Diablogue 