The Ontario Health Coalition is holding public hearings across the province, including two in Chatham-Kent, to gather public input that will be used to help create a report on reforming hospitals.
In Chatham, the hearing will be June 22 from 3-5 p.m. at the WISH Centre, and in Wallaceburg on the same day, from 6-9 p.m. at the Wallaceburg Legion at 52 Margaret St.
The report is expected to be released publicly in the fall.
“We will use the recommendations from the hearings to measure the political parties’ health-care plans leading into next spring’s provincial election. Organizations and individuals are invited to attend and submit oral or written submissions on reforming Ontario’s hospitals in the public interest,” said co-chair of the Chatham-Kent/Wallaceburg-Walpole Island Health Coalitions, Shirley Roebuck.
The Coalition wants to hear the public’s ideas about:
- Gaps in services – What public hospital services have been cut and what services are needed in our communities?
- Improving access to care – What are the particular issues of concern regarding hospital planning in Chatham-Kent and area?
- Properly funding Ontario’s hospitals – Ideas for ensuring that funding goes to care and vital support functions in our hospitals.
- Improving quality of care.
- Improving public access to information and meaningful public input.
- Improving public ownership and democratic control, and the impacts of privatization in your community.
- Re-integrating services into public hospitals to improve care and restore public ownership.
- Ensuring hospitals best serve our communities – rural and urban, of diverse age, with cultural sensitivity and respect for our communities’ diversities.
To book a time to make an oral submission, please call the Chatham-Kent/Wallaceburg-Walpole Island Health Coalitions at
(519) 677-4460 or the Ontario Health Coalition at (416) 441-2502, or e-mail Roebuck at goddess@bell.net or Natalie at ohc@sympatico.ca
The deadline for booking a space for oral presentation at the Chatham and Wallaceburg hearings is June 16 at 5 p.m. and for written submissions, June 30 at 5 p.m. Written submissions can be as informal as a hand-written note. All will be accepted.
All are welcome to come and watch the hearings and join in the discussion.
