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The Hamilton Healthcare coalition held a rally outside Hamilton General Hospital today. The group is trying to draw attention to what it claims is more than 100-million dollars in funding cuts to Hamilton hospitals.
They call themselves the Ontario Health Coalition, a group made up of seniors, patients, unions, nurses, physicians and other health care professionals. They claim the provincial government has slashed over 100 million dollars in funding to Hamilton hospitals over the past four years. They say that funding cut has forced the cancellation of cancer programs and fertility clinics. It has also affected hospital patient care while chopping the number of nurses, health professionals and support staff.
“Our patients are getting sicker and sicker. We’re constantly pushed to getting our patients out of hospital more quickly, and the nursing care per patient and stress on the nursing staff in particular is substantial” says Dr. Gordon Guyatt.
“It’s outrageous that they are even making that sort of ‘oh well, we don’t have the money for that’….because when you are in the hospital or you are in an emergency room or your in the hallway waiting for a hospital bed then it’s a little hard to say ‘oh I wish I had healthcare’ says Rolf Gerstenberger from the Hamilton Health Coalition.
So, what’s the ultimate solution? “To look at funding. Open the gates a little bit. Provide more funding to the hospitals in this area. The people of Ontario, the people of Hamilton deserve a level of funding that’s appropriate” says Dave Murphy from CUPE Local 7800.
The coalition has planned a day of action to protest what it is calling funding cuts to hospitals and home care services. They will be holding rallies in front of the offices of Liberal MPPs Ted McMeekin and Jim Bradley on Friday May 22nd.
