FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10,
2006
Emergency community
meeting on health care at York Central Hospital
RICHMOND HILL: Community
members concerned about health care services at York Central
Hospital (YCH) are invited to attend a public meeting in
Concord this coming Monday Jan.16.
There are big changes coming
in health care, say YCH workers. Staff is already spread too
thin and patient care will suffer further when planned
layoffs are implemented.
Health care consumers can
come to the meeting, learn about the coming changes, and
have their say:
Date: Monday Jan.
16
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Fontana
Gardens, 7400 Keele Street, near Hwy. 7, Concord
Who: Natalie Mehra
- Ontario Health Coalition
Leah Casselman, President, OPSEU
Donna Hessler, OPSEU Local 374 President (YCH)
Front-line staff at YCH say
they are already feeling pressure. “One of my members says
she was forced to decide between administering medication on
time or answering the cries of another patient who couldn’t
feed himself,” says Donna Hessler, President of OPSEU Local
374, representing front-line workers at YCH.
The government’s planned
Local Health Integration Networks will cause more chaos in
the system, health care workers say.
Dozens of YCH staff have
received layoff notices including personal care assistants,
dialysis assistants, registered practical nurses, emergency
medicine service assistants, food service attendant, and
other clinical staff.
Health care workers say more
than 1,000 people have signed a petition to protect patient
care at the hospital.
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For further information:
Donna Hessler, President,
Local 374: 416-788-9057 cell
