Ontario Health Coalition rallies focus on cuts to healthcare
Fran Renoy | Feb 18, 2013 | Comments 0
The Ontario Health Coalition will be holding a Town Hall Meeting for the residents of Prince Edward County Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 7:30 – 9pm, the Picton United Church, 12 Chapel St. to share information on cuts at Quinte Health Care and to organize a local campaign to push back against the proposed cuts. Prior to that meeting the coalition plans to hold a Town Hall Meeting at Trenton City Hall from 5-6:30 pm.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Ontario Health Coalition, they are a network of more than 400 grassroot organizations representing all areas of Ontario. They are a non partisan group committed to maintaining and enhancing our public funded, publicly administrated health care systems.
For the last nine years I have observed how the Liberal government has either closed or cut services drastically in small town and rural hospitals. I am a member of the OHC and have watched with admiration and gratitude as Natalie Mehra, director of the OHC and her dedicated staff have spent countless hours travelling across Ontario listening to the healthcare concerns of residents. Some of you may remember that they held a Town Hall meeting in Picton approximately five years ago.
I hope that you will be able to attend this very important and informative session. The coalition is also holding a rally at Belleville General Hospital on Mon. March 4th at noon. This is one of many rallies that is being held to object to the billions of dollars that the the Liberal government is cutting from healthcare in Ontario. I’m sure that the OHC will appreciate your support at these rallies.
It is extremely annoying, frustrating and disappointing that six committees from QHC Belleville have made decisions about the future of our local hospital with little or no input from our local medical community.
Dr. Elizabeth Christie, President of the Prince Edward Family Health Team has said that she has not received any of the information that she has requested or the names of the committee members. We should never lose sight of the fact that as taxpayers we are responsible for the salaries of the Ministry of Health, the LHINs and QHC administration. Personally, I will do everything possible to prevent these groups from MUTILATING our wonderful community hospital in Prince Edward County. I hope that many of you will also stand up for your hospital.
Fran Renoy
Filed Under: Letters and Opinion • News from Everywhere Else
About the Author: Fran Renoy has lived in the County for forty years so considers herself almost a native. Both she and her husband Bill consider themselves very fortunate to live in beautiful Prince Edward County. She worked at PECM hospital for thirty years as a x-ray technologist,retiring in 1998.She has a very strong passion for her local hospital and encourages others to speak up and not be afraid to do so if they feel that services are being eroded.