The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) continues to sound the alarm on cuts to nursing after the latest round in North Bay.
Lhamo Dolkar, Nurse Practioner and RNAO Immediate Past-President, says they’ve heard 10 Registered Nursing positions are among the jobs being impacted locally.
She says Ontario has been dealing with its worst Registered Nurse to population ratio for eleven years.
“These layoffs are just going to worsen the gaps more,” says Dolkar. “It is going to affect not only nursing staff but is also affecting the public in terms of how the health system is going to work and increase the health burden.”
In total, 36 positions at the North Bay Regional Health Centre are being impacted, saving approximately $1 million.
[RELATED] 36 jobs impacted by changes at the North Bay Regional Health Centre
Dolkar says those savings will be negated.
“At the end of the day you’re going to spend more than $1 million in terms of quality of patient care, chronic illness management, increased Emergency Department wait times, and increased resources,” she says.
Along with sitting down with frontline workers to find ways to raise funds and look for leaner frameworks, Dolkar says provincial funding is a solution.
“Yes, the province is saying they’re listening, working to increase funding and working to invest more in primary care,” she says. “But you cannot invest in one and not invest in the other. Health care has to be the major spending sector because the health of Ontarians and Canadians is going to yield long-term benefits rather than spending on corporate sectors, privatization and for-profit clinics.”
Dolkar says in the past two months alone approximately 215 nursing positions have been eliminated at hospitals across Ontario.
