HAMILTON - The Local Health Integration Network is
abdicating its responsibilities with regards to the closure of the last
three public lab collection sites in Hamilton, says the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union.
“We were promised an open transparent process that
serves the local community,” says OPSEU President Warren (Smokey)
Thomas. “Instead the LHIN is sticking their heads in the sand while the
hospital offloads these services to the private sector against the
community’s wishes.”
More than 10,000 signatures have already been gathered
on petitions to the board of St. Joseph’s Healthcare, asking them to
reverse the decision that was made in secret earlier this spring.
The Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN received its
full powers in April, but refuses to use those powers to suspend the
closure to allow for public input.
Once privatized, the lab collection sites will be
outside of the LHIN’s responsibility. It will be up to the private
sector to determine when, where and how these services will be delivered
– not the public.
By moving the services outside of the hospital umbrella,
the new facilities will also be outside the protections afforded by the
Canada Health Act.
Private labs like MDS have a lengthy list of laboratory
tests that will not be covered by OHIP, forcing patients to pay out of
pocket.
“This proves our concerns raised last spring around the
LHINs are completely justified,” says Thomas. “You have politicians
washing their hands of the issue, an unelected LHIN claiming they have
no responsibility, and an unabashed privatization of health services
that will ultimately cost Hamiltonians more.”
