TORONTO – The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is urging
the Harris government to slow down its plans to divest Ontario’s
nine psychiatric hospitals, from the Ontario Public Service.
"The recent resignations of three board members of The Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health vindicates OPSEU’s position on the
divestment of Ontario’s public psychiatric services," says
president Leah Casselman.
"From the beginning we said the province was moving too fast
on divestment of psychiatric services and these resignations clearly
indicate the government should slow down and rethink this
process," Casselman said.
Chair Bill Currie, vice-chair Nora McCabe and patient advocate Pat
Capponi resigned from the board yesterday. The centre was formed two
years ago with the merger of four hospitals, Queen Street Mental
Health, The Clarke Institute, The Donwood Institute and the Addiction
Research Foundation.
"The first divestment of psychiatric services planned by the
province hasn’t delivered the goods and the resignations are proof
that it isn’t working," said Casselman. "This doesn’t
bode well for future divestment’s in London, St. Thomas, Kingston,
North Bay, Whitby, Brockville, Thunder Bay and Hamilton."
Nora McCabe resigned over the closure of an outpatient facility and
the reduction of services at the Queen Street site. The Lakeshore
Outpatient and Community Clinic in Etobicoke was closed on Boxing Day
for repairs. The clinic’s 230 patients have since been attending a
makeshift facility at the Queen Street site.
"Our patients are receiving treatment in a basement, with no
windows or ventilation," says OPSEU Local 500 president Nancy
Pridham. "We have 14 staff in one room, only two phones and no
privacy. No wonder some of our patients refuse to come back," she
said. "What really angers me is that repairs to the Etobicoke
clinic were completed over a month ago but it sits empty and our staff
have been instructed not to talk about it with our patients or members
of the community. Treatment is being jeopardized and we’re paying
rent on a facility we can’t use."
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For further information: Bill Trbovich
416-561-5613/793-0092
