The Ontario Health Coalition is into the home stretch of its cross-province “listening tour.”
OHC Executive Director Natalie Mehra says the have four more communities to visit to hear their concerns about the services and governance of small, rural hospitals.
Mehra says, like the panel’s visit to Kincardine at the beginning of the tour, the story is the same everywhere.
Citizens have watched as their former full-service rural hospitals have reduced in size and in some cases, eliminated certain services altogether as has happened at Kincardine Hospital.
Mehra says in most cases, there was very little if any consultation with the public before the decisions were made and the actions taken.
She says the panel is shocked with what’s been happening with the health system particularly in the rural areas.
Mehra says they have four communities in Northern Ontario to visit this week and will then sit down to prepare a report that they hope to release in early April.
She says MPP’s will be given copies, along with the Premier and the Health Ministry.
She says although the Ontario Health Coalition tour was not mandated by the province, she advises the province to listen closely to what people are saying.
Mehra points out to ignore what is being said could have grave consequences in next year’s election.