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The Brampton Guardian
Health Coalition plans to bring concerns right to province’s doorstep
Tuesday August 19 2008
Peter Criscione
Calling the provincial government arrogant and unresponsive, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) plans to stage a march in Toronto next month to protest against what they say is an attempt by Queen’s Park to dismantle public health care.
  
“The Liberal government has reneged on more election promises (with respect to health care) and is doing so without any real political pressure,” said Natalie Mehra, OHC director. “We’ve decided that the time for lobbying is done and that it is time to start building protests again.

“It is time to push the McGuinty government to listen up for positive change in the public interest.” 

Protestors are scheduled to gather the morning of Sept. 27 at Metro Hall Square, Wellington and John streets, and make their way over to Queen’s Park.  

Mehra said protestors will attempt to hammer home the message that the McGuinty government is ignoring the public interest in health care.

Instead, Mehra argued, the Grits have opted to bring in more public-private (P3) hospitals despite extraordinary costs and movements of services out of local communities due to funding cuts.
The provincial government has also broken its promise on minimum care standard in long term care homes and insists on holding closed-door meetings with private interests on the future of home care, the OHC claims. 

Mehra said the OHC will use the opportunity Sept. 27 to demand Ontario stop home care competitive bidding for good, regulate a minimum care standard in long term care and stop any form of health care privatization. 

Similar protests are being organized in Windsor, Kingston, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

“Prior to the last election we (thought) there might be some positives with a McGuinty government, that there were some expansions to hospitals and some response to the advocates for improved public health care,” said Mehra noting the OHC is expecting thousands of people to take part in the protest Ontario-wide. “And since the last election there have been no positive moves forward at all. We are facing now significant hospital restructuring across the province and significant cuts to clinical services in hospitals.

Also, they have reneged on their promise to bring in improved care standards and regulations for nursing homes. We have found the government has become extremely arrogant since the last election and very unresponsive.”

The Brampton Health Coalition (BHC) has scheduled a planning meeting this Sunday (Aug. 24) to discuss how residents in this city can play an important role in the protest.
Coalition members and interested parties will meet between 2 and 4 p.m. at Royal India Sweets and Restaurant, 31 Melanie Dr. in Brampton.

“We need to make action plan to make it effective and successful,” added Jagtar Shergill, BHC chair. “Give your opinions, ideas and support to make it successful.”

Those interested in attending the Sept. 27 protest can arrange to get there via bus, van or car pool by registering online ohc@sympatico.ca or by phone at 416-441-2502.