Tomorrow the Ontario Health Coalition is inviting Scarborough and Ajax residents to go on a journey to protect their health care.
Much attention has been paid to the proposed merger between the Scarborough and Rouge Valley hospitals. Less attention has been paid to the fact that even with a merger, the combined mega-hospital will still be looking for $28 million in savings next year and more in subsequent years due an unprecedented base funding freeze on Ontario hospitals. This is on top of $17 million in budget cuts that have already taken place this year at The Scarborough Hospital.
To complicate matters further, the two CEOs describe the impact of a new phased in funding formula as being from negative to neutral.
That’s surprising given Scarborough-Rouge should stand to benefit from such a formula given the significant number of surgeries that take place, the population demographics and the high population growth in the eastern part of their combined catchment area.
It does add to the questions that are being raised about the algorithm of such a formula and whether it adequately takes into consideration the social determinants of health.
The OHC is organizing a rolling day of action that is aimed at the province, not the boards of the hospitals. You can choose to participate in all of it or just the part that’s closer to you.
The group will be visiting MPP offices throughout the day calling upon the Wynne government to properly fund these hospitals.
If you don’t have a vehicle, there will be carpooling between the destinations.
Here’s the schedule:
Scarborough
9:30 am – Meet at the Canadian Tire Parking lot at Sheppard and McCowan.
10:30 am – Rally at MPP Bas Balkissoon’s constituency office, 4559 Sheppard Ave. E. (near McCowan)
11:10 am – Rally at MPP Soo Wong’s constituency office, 2245 Kennedy Rd (at Sheppard)
12 Noon – Rally at MPP Honourable Brad Duguid’s constituency office, 2063 Lawrence Ave. E. (at Warden).
12:55 pm – Rally at MPP Mitzie Hunter’s constituency office, 4117 Lawrence Ave. E. (just west of Kingston Rd.)
1:40 pm – Rally at MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti’s constituency office, 3090 Kingston Rd (north of St. Clair Ave. E.)
Durham
3 pm – Meet outside the Altona Rd Community Church at 1367 Altona Rd, Pickering
3:30 pm – Rally at MPP Tracy MacCharles’ constituency office, 300 Kingston Rd, Pickering
4:15 pm – Rally at Joe Dickson’s constituency office, 50 Commercial Ave., Ajax
OPSEU Diablogue 