The provincial government won’t hold public hearings on the future of small rural Hospitals, so the Ontario Health Coalition will.
Coalition Director Natalie Mehra says they decided to put together an impartial panel of health care experts to travel 12 different communities to hear the publics concerns about the future of their small hospitals.
The panel will hold a hearing in Shelburne on March 5th and Kincardine on March 6th.
Mehra says they have lost confidence in the Provincial Government to meet with the people and get the real facts surrounding potential hospital closures, reduction of rural health care services and even the loss of some of those services.
She says since last summer they have been asking the Government to hold meaningful public consultations about their hospital policies, to no avail.
Mehra calls this a listening tour where the panel will hear about peoples concerns and their suggestions as to how to improve health care at their own rural or small hospital.
She says once they complete the hearings, the group will put together a report they hope to present to the Health Minister and Premier in the Legislature.
Mehra says if thousands of people attend these province wide hearings, then the Government will have a hard time ignoring their recommendations.
The panel will hold its hearings in Shelburne at the Grace Tipling Hall from 3 PM until 6:30 PM on March 5th and at the Davidson Centre in Kincardine on March 6th from 12 PM until 3.30 PM.
If you want to register to speak to the panel you can get more information on line at www.ontariohelathcoalition.ca