OHC Holding Public Forum To Warn About Nursing Cuts AT Hospitals

By Angela Gemmill

The N-D-P Health Critic has already warned that if the provincial Liberals continue to do nothing about expected nursing cuts at hospitals, then patient care will suffer.

Now the Ontario Health Coalition will reiterate that warning during a public forum tonight in Sudbury.

Nickel Belt M-P-P France Gelinas -who will be at the meeting- says at least six hospitals, including Health Sciences North, plan to cut nursing positions to be able to meet their annual budgets.

The Wynne Liberals have frozen hospital budgets over the past two years and plan to keep it there for another year, which according to Gelinas is why hospitals are making cuts.

All provincially funded hospitals must have a balanced budget every year.

Gelinas says patient care is greatly affected by the number of nurses available and any cuts to staffing levels will mean problems.

Reps from the Ontario Health Coalition will be at tonight’s meeting, set for 7pm, at the Steelworkers Hall.

They are expected to discuss how health care cuts will hurt our community.

Gelinas is especially disappointed the Minister of Health won’t admit the Liberals’ budget freeze is impacting front-line health care services.