Ford using COVID-19 crisis to privatize health services in Ontario: NDP

QUEEN’S PARK — Doug Ford wants to sink hundreds of millions of public dollars into for-profit health care, while he starves hospitals of funding and nurses are fired, said NDP Deputy Leader, John Vanthof, during question period Thursday.

CBC News reported that it obtained Ford’s so-called second wave plan, and it shows that Ford wants to pay for-profit clinics for work that hospitals can be doing.

“For months, hospitals have pleaded with the government for funding and collaboration to deal with the pending crisis of a second wave,” said Vanthof.

“The public health care system is completely capable of carrying out surgeries and diagnostics when the government invests in public care. But this government is choosing to ignore them. So now, our hospitals are literally laying off nurses while the government promotes for-profit clinics.

“Why is this government ramming through for-profit health care instead of investing in the public care that can clear these backlogs?”

Vanthof said hospitals need funding and support, not shifting precious public dollars into for-profit corporations to benefit Doug Ford’s CEO friends.

“Instead of working with hospitals, doctors, nurses and frontline health care heroes, the only people Doug Ford listens to are insiders with deep pockets who want to profit from health care while Ontarians pay the price,” said Vanthof.

The Ontario Hospitals Association have said the plan for dealing with the backlog of health care should be built from the ground up in partnership with hospitals. They said, “It will need to be implemented by doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff, who’ll need time and resources to continue mobilizing.”

Vanthof put the question of privatizing health care — undermining Canadian medicare — to Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott in question period Thursday. In response to Vanthof’s question, Elliott refused to commit to more support for hospitals and said she is listening to calls for the “expansion” of “independent” for-profit health care.