Agree: MOH heads should roll

Recently in a letter to the media, I commented on my disdain for the McGuinty government in allowing hospitals and LHINS to hand out millions of dollars in sometimes untendered contracts to healthcare consultants (Auditor General Jim McMurter’s report Oct 20). Columnist Christina Blizzard reports in her Oct 23 column (reprinted in the County Weekly News Oct 28) that she received a “huffy” email from a spokesman for Health Minister Deb Matthews taking issue with her Oct 22 column where she commented that the government appoints hospital boards. The spokesman Ivan Langrish states that most hospital board directors are elected by members of the hospital corporation.

GIVE ME A BREAK! Obviously Mr Langrish is not aware that in March of 2009, healthcare consultant Graham Scott arrived at QHC to announce that he was appointed as a supervisor (by an Order of Council of the Mc Guinty Government) to run QHC. Mr. Langrish must have also missed the memo sent out by former Minister of Health David Caplan which stated that Mr. Scott in his role as supervisor had fired the democratically elected board and disbanded the approximately 400 members of the Corporation Open Membership. Mr. Scott went on to run the affairs of the QHC for nine months at $2800.00 per day (for the first two days of the week and $1400.00 per day for the rest of the week on a as needs basis). His salary was paid by the Ministry of Health. I believe that translates into we the taxpayers having picked up the tab. During his tenure Mr. Scott appointed six individuals to sit on a Community Advisory Committee. The CAC then proceeded to APPOINT new QHC board members to replace those that had been dismissed. The open membership of approximately 400 people who were passionate about their community hospitals was replaced by a closed membership of 54 people. The 54 members of the closed membership was the “brainchild” of yet another healthcare consultant Scott Rowand sent by the Ministry to look at the governance of QHC. Once again your tax dollars hard at work. These appointed 54 members (chosen from the communities) are allowed to sit on board committees and eventually run for the board if they chose

I do not take issue with the present QHC board or the 54 member advisory board as I believe that they are a very diligent conscientious group of individuals serving their community on a volunteer basis to insure that we as stakeholders receive the best possible healthcare as close to home as possible. I do however take issue with MOH spokespeople like Mr Langrish who try to tell us that many hospital boards in Ont are elected and have OPEN memberships. We in the Quinte area know differently. Make no mistake the McGuinty government is working as fast as they can across Ont to disband hospital boards and open memberships who don’t follow the party line.

Christina Blizzard was right on target when she said that the so called health tax “was piddled down the drain to eHealth and now to those fat cat consultants”. She goes on to say that “heads should roll. I don’t care who wields the axe.”

Fran Renoy