FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2005
Private
redevelopment plans at CAMH will put clients second
TORONTO – Turning the Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) into a private (P3)
hospital will put the mental health of the most vulnerable and
marginalized patients second to the needs of private
developers, says the union representing CAMH staff.
Members of Local 500 of the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) insist that
CAMH should remain a fully public facility in order to protect
services to clients most in need.
“We’ve recently seen the
closing of the CAMH 501 Detox Centre and we hope this is not a
sign of things to come,” said Bernard King, a vice-president
of Local 500.
OPSEU says plans to “modernize”
the centre and provide “one-stop shopping” sound like an
attempt to apply a business model to mental health.
“CAMH seems to be losing the
focus on people who are most in need,” said King. “They’re
already slipping through the cracks. Community supports just
aren’t there.”
“CAMH is spearheading the
gentrification of Queen and Ossington at the expense of people
with mental health issues and addictions. This is simply
unacceptable,” he added.
Studies have shown that P3
private-public-partnerships not only carry heavy financing
costs - the private sector usually pays more to borrow money
than governments do – but are also detrimental to patient
care.
OPSEU said a new hospital
should be built, but with public financing and control.
“We know the borrowing costs
are higher with these P3 projects,” said OPSEU spokesperson,
Nancy Pridham. “We also know, from the experience in Britain,
Australia and elsewhere, that private hospitals also go hand
in hand with big company profits and reductions in patient
care.”
OPSEU represents 1,700
clinical, research, support and nursing staff at CAMH.
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For information please
contact:
Bernard King, (416) 871-3055
