The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE) says it’s using a line-up of stretchers outside of hospitals to symbolize the crisis in health care.
Three gurneys were set up outside North Bay Regional Health Centre Wednesday morning.
“The crisis in healthcare affects almost every family,” says Michael Hurley, president of OCHU-CUPE. “The entire health care sector is staggering. There is no end to the staffing shortages; ER closures, waits for surgeries or for long-term care beds or for a family doctor or for appropriate home care services. We hope to help ensure that this election focuses on solutions to this crisis.”
The union says according to its analysis, the health centre in North Bay needs to add 16 beds to achieve safe occupancy levels.
Officials recommend the next provincial government improve hospital capacity and provide sustainable funding.
“We forecast that would require an investment of $2 billion a year for each of four years to clear the surgical wait lists and get the patients off the stretchers,” Hurley says.
He says they’re also calling on the next government to address the staffing crisis.
“The province’s own numbers say ‘we need 70,000 Personal Support Workers, Registered Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses up to 2027,” Hurley says. “If we’re really going to recruit and retain them we need a plan for that.”
Another recommendation includes ending private sector delivery of acute, long-term care and community health services.
