Emergency meeting on crisis at York Central hospital draws
a crowd
Leah Casselman addresses health care workers
and consumers in York Region. Her speech focused on the Liberal changes to
health care including the LHINs and P3 hospitals.
Health care workers and community members concerned about health care
services at York Central Hospital met at a public meeting in Concord Jan.16.
Speakers included OPSEU President Leah Casselman, Dora Jeffries of the Health
Coalition from Brampton, and Donna Hessler, OPSEU Local 374 President at YCH
(health care support).
Municipal leaders and federal candiates were invited but only NDP candidate
Wes Dowsett chose to appear and speak.
The government’s planned Local Health Integration Networks will cause more
chaos in the system, Casselman told the crowd.
Jeffries told the group about the difficulty of finding out information about
the private (P3) hospital in Brampton. She said her coalition had gone
door-to-door to inform citizens of the dangers of private hospital care.
Dozens of YCH staff have already received layoff notices including personal
care assistants, dialysis assistants, registered practical nurses, emergency
medicine, Hessler said.
"Richmond Hill is one of the wealthiest parts of the province. Why are we
experiencing third world health care?" she asked.
A portion of the meeting was conducted in Italian, for the benefit of the
many audience members from the Italian-Canadian community.
Workers and consumers were urged to contact their local political
representatives on these issues.
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to protect patient care at the
hospital. Click on
www.petitiononline.com/ych0506a/petition.html
to sign.
