He wasn’t happy with the response he got.
In a media release issued this afternoon, Miller said that Jaczek ‘refused to commit to maintaining two fully functioning hospitals, instead talking generally about planning for hospitals across the province.’ He did acknowledge that the minister said she was awaiting input from the community and that she ‘would listen to the recommendations from the community and municipal councils.’
“The community has been very clear that they support maintaining two hospitals,” said Miller in the release. “I asked this question because residents aren’t confident that the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare’s Board and Task Force have been listening. I will continue to push the Minister to listen to not just the Board of MAHC but also to the people who rely upon these two hospitals.”
Jaczek’s initial response to Miller’s questioning was to tout the work of the Ontario Hospital Association: “I really do want to commend the way the Ontario Hospital Association has stepped up to the plate in assisting us at looking how we move forward with looking at efficiencies, centres of excellence, and yet providing care as close to home as possible,” she said during Question Period. “All of these pieces are very much in the mix. It’s really quite remarkable how our advisory council, chaired by the Ontario Hospital Association president, has looked at the whole spectrum of hospitals in this province, from academic health science centres, psychiatric hospitals, rehab hospitals, all the services that are provided through small hospitals, large hospitals, etc.”
Miller also asked the Minister about the disparity in increased funding for Muskoka and Parry Sound versus the rest of the province. He said while Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) received a funding increase of 1.4 per cent and West Parry Sound Health Centre has been told they will receive approximately one per cent, in the lead-up to the June election the government has been touting an average increase of 4.6 per cent for Ontario hospitals.
“One of the challenges facing Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare and other small and medium-sized hospitals is that their funding has not kept up with their costs. Many of these costs are not things the hospitals can control. In fact, some, like hydro costs and collective bargaining agreements, are things the province controls. The province has increased hospital costs without increasing funding to cover these costs. As a result, some hospitals have run deficits for many years… Will the minister explain why these hospitals in my riding are not receiving the full 4.6 per cent increase in funding?” questioned Miller.
Jaczek replied that funding was based on need. “We made it very clear that our increase, the $822 million this year, would provide an average of 4.6 per cent overall increase to hospitals in this province. Clearly, in some communities, high-growth communities such as ones that I represent, the need, the increase in population, the increase in acuity is greater than in some other areas of the province,” she said. “This is precisely why we consult with the Ontario Hospital Association, as well as the local health integration network as to the distribution of these funds. It’s based on evidence. It’s based on need.
“In particular, in this situation,” Jaczek continued, “I know that my predecessor, the former Minister of Health, met with the city council and asked them to come back with a unified plan for the hospitals in the member’s riding. We look forward to that. We’re awaiting that kind of community decision to inform us and we’ll move forward in that regard.”
Miller also added in his media release that he is “disappointed that the Minister was not willing to indicate her support for maintaining the two hospitals. Given her answer I encourage concerned residents to sign and send in copies of the petition.”
To get a copy of the petition visit https://www.normmillermpp.ca/ petitions/ and then click on “download petition” to print the formatted version.
You can watch the video of the exchange below or on YouTube here.
BY DOPPLER ONLINE ON