July
12, 2006
Letter to the Editor
The Globe and Mail
444 Front St. W.
Toronto, ON
M5V 2S9
Judge
Richard Schneider hit the nail on the head when he
cites the “systematic closure of psychiatric
hospitals” contributing to long waiting lists for
forensic beds (Ontario stalls on mental health fixes –
July 12).
There
is only one Provincial Psychiatric Hospital left in
Ontario, down from 10 in 1996. The psychiatric
hospitals were either merged with other institutions
or downloaded to general hospitals. Either way, their
bed numbers were radically cut. My union estimates
there are one-third to one-half fewer beds than 10
years ago. These communities and their surrounding
areas bore the brunt of the cuts: London, St. Thomas,
Hamilton, Toronto, Whitby, Penetanguishene, Kingston,
Brockville, North Bay and Thunder Bay.
The
results? It’s harder to get admitted into hospital and
patients are discharged sooner. Shamefully, the
mentally ill end up on our streets and in our jails
instead of getting the treatment they deserve.
For
more than 25 years, my union has alerted successive
governments to the dangers of dismantling our
psychiatric hospitals. Clearly, the current Ontario
government’s response to this crisis has been
inadequate. When is Dalton McGuinty going to do the
right thing and restore hospital beds and funding?
[original signed by]
Leah
Casselman
President
Ontario Public Service Employees Union
This letter was published in the Globe
and Mail, Comment page, July 14, 2006,
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
