SARNIA: In a band-aid attempt to blunt
community protest, the Liberal government is expected to
announce partial restoration of funding to Bluewater Health in
Sarnia today, but the promised funding will not nearly be
enough to ward off the major cuts.
Although the $1.3 million will restore cuts
to the palliative care unit, it will do little to stem the
loss of 183 staff positions (114 full-time equivalent) which
took place last July 20. Nor will it stop the expected $2.4
million more in cuts to come.
The funding will only restore 16.2 of the
114 full-time equivalent positions lost to date.
“The worse part is that this funding is
only temporary until they can re-establish palliative care in
the community,” says Ann Steadman, unit chair for OPSEU Local
145 at the hospital. “This clearly demonstrates the lack of
planning by the hospital in making these cuts in the first
place.”
OPSEU Bluewater Health members will be
joined by union president Leah Casselman, and by members of
the Victims of the Chemical Valley Group, Sarnia Health
Coalition, and the unions SEIU and ONA, as they rally and
present a community petition to NDP MPP Shelley Martel at
Queen’s Park tomorrow.
“The Liberals were elected to improve
health care services, not cut them,” says Casselman.
Date of Event:
Thursday October 13, 2005
Time:
12:30 p.m.
Place: Front (south side) of
Legislative Building, Queen’s Park
