The hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says the Ford government must deliver on its promise to curb "hallway medicine".
The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, the medical arm of CUPE, has prepared a customized report for Windsor-Essex showing what it believes is the current state of health care in the region. It is hoping to use this report to encourage the PC government to keep its commitment to ease hospital overcrowding by putting an end to treating patients in hallways due to a lack of bed space.
OCHU President Michael Hurley held an informal meeting with the media at Windsor's Mackenzie Hall Thursday, outlining some details of the report. He was accompanied by activist Philippa von Ziegenweidt of CAMPP (Citizens for an Accountable Megahospital Planning Process), who used the planning of the new mega-hospital to tie in with the report.
Hurley said that with an aging population in Ontario and Windsor-Essex, there will be more pressure for an already stressed system.
"You've got this tidal wave coming at the system of an aging population," said Hurley. "We have it for a 20-year period, and it really suggests that there's going to have to be an investment to meet the needs."
Funding is a key point in the report, which shows that hospital funding per capita is 28.3 per cent higher in the rest of the country than in Ontario at over $404 more per patient per year.
As far as the mega-hospital is concerned, Hurley believes that the project, which had its zoning approved this summer by Windsor City Council, will only make the situation more complicated.
"We know our hospitals are already stretched to capacity. Are we going to meet that obligation or are we going to pretend that it doesn't exist?" said Hurley. "This mega-hospital is a hugely-expensive nightmare that adds a whole other complexity to the access issues that you have here in Windsor."
Hurley is visiting communities across Ontario, releasing specific reports on each region with regards to health care spending and how it compares to what the Ford government has announced it will do. More information on this can be found at the OCHU's official website.