Health coalition calls on public to stand up for health care
The de-rostering of thousands of patients at the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie was the centre of attention at a town hall Friday organized by the Algoma chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition.
Guest speakers included politicians, policy analysts and physicians and the focus of the meeting was the need to protect public health care.
Albert Dupuis of the Ontario Health Coalition Algoma said the gathering was designed to educate the public on the importance of health care and the drawbacks of privatization.
“It’s not because we’re lacking resources,” Dupuis said.
“It’s because the politicians are making choices to deny the investment in the resources that they would be able to put into the public system if they should so choose. Instead, we’re opting for private options and for profiteering.”
While the vast majority of those in attendance were seniors, Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra said health-care issues affect people of all ages.
“Seniors are the biggest users of the health system, so it’s kind of natural, but we do find that there’s kind of huge support for public health care among young people, as well,” said Mehra, who said the de-rostering of 10,000 patients at Group Health Centre is drawing attention from across Ontario to the health care crisis.
“This primary care crisis, this access crisis, is rolling out in a way we’ve never seen,” said Mehra.
“I think Sault Ste. Marie is the epicentre, and I think it’s sort of fitting because the Group Health Centre was the model for community health centres that developed across the province.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge a nine-year-old girl was negligent in not noticing there was a camera phone taped to the seat in an airplane lavatory.
Nicki Minaj's England concert postponed after rapper was detained by Dutch authorities over pot
Nicki Minaj's concert in Manchester scheduled for Saturday night was postponed after police in the Netherlands discovered marijuana in her bags as she was preparing to leave the country.
1 dead, 3 in hospital after flying wheel crashes into bus windshield on QEW
A man is dead, and three others are in hospital after a flying wheel crashed into a coach bus on the QEW in St. Catharines.