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Picton hospital meeting Wednesday Feb. 27

The Ontario Health Coalition has scheduled Town Hall meetings in Picton  and Quinte West to share information on cuts at Quinte Health Care and to organize a local campaign to push back against the proposed cuts.

“All across Ontario, hundreds of hospital beds are being closed down,” said Michael McMahon, of the Quinte Health Coalition. “Local services are being cut and moved out of town and outpatient clinics are being privatized. While Ontario hospitals are funded at the lowest rate of any province in Canada, the current Ontario government has set funding rates at less than the rate of inflation. This means that hospitals are faced with deficits just to maintain existing services. But hospitals are not allowed to run deficits. If they are projecting a deficit, they are required to cut services.”

The Picton meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 27, 7:30 – 9pm, the Picton United Church, 12 Chapel St. Guest speaker councillor Barb Proctor.

Quinte West’s meeting is set for the same evening from 5 – 6:30 pm at City Hall, 7 Creswell Drive in Trenton. Guest speaker is councillor Sally Freeman.

“Our hospitals are already seriously overcrowded. More funding cuts compromise patient staff and safety,” says McMahon. “Meanwhile, Ontario’s Liberal government is cutting billions of dollars from health care.”

Quinte Health Care is seeking to cut $10 million – and possibly an addition $5 million  –proposing to reduce the number of complex continuing care beds, eliminate outpatient physiotherapy, and divert lab services to the community. The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital will lose obstetrics care (maternity), the endoscopy program and will also face the closure of nine of 21 beds. Belleville General will lose 11 inpatient beds and Trenton Memorial Hospital will lose five inpatient beds – all of which have major implications for the emergency rooms. Patients will be diverted to Belleville, adding extra strain to its ER.

All concerned citizens are encouraged to attend these meetings.

PECMH

Filed Under: Local News

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  1. ingrid bronson says:

    I didn’t realize that expetant parentswill have to go to Belleville for their prenatal appts.,asDr Christie pointed out. Does this mean there will be more babies born in cabs?? Hopefully there is a better way to help our hospital!

  2. County Steve says:

    Susan is right about the ER – or at least until the next set of cuts – but she is pulling a finesse on the last part.

    The reason some services are not available at Picton is because QHC made it so, year after year.

    Now they want to emasculate it more, until Picton’s only treatment plan will be a bucket of leeches.

    Shame on Quinte Health Care … you are shirking your duty to those you pretend to serve, while proudly backing your own bureaucracy.

    I can only assume you live close to your health care, so don’t sweat it.

  3. Susan Rowe says:

    I want to clarify that the line about ER patients being diverted to Belleville is misleading and is making people worry that the Picton ER is closing. This is not the case. All QHC hospitals will continue to have 24 hour, 7 day a week emergency rooms. When you require emergency services, PECMH will continue to be there for you. The only types of patients who would be transferred to BGH are ones who are being transferred now because they need surgery or more specialized services that are only available at BGH.

    Susan Rowe
    Quinte Health Care

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