The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board put the province on notice Thursday night, warning if funding for land ambulance does not increase substantially, it will be forced to reduce the service to affordable levels.
The board also passed a motion asking the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to take back responsibility for the service, which was downloaded to municipalities in 2001.
At that time, it was agreed the cost of the service would be shared on a 50/50 basis between the province and municipalities.
“This agreement is not being met,” DSSAB members said in a press release issued Friday morning. “Presently, the province is contributing closer to 30 percent of the land ambulance costs, with the Rainy River District municipalities picking up the lion’s share.”
As a result of these increased costs, DSSAB passed its 2005 budget Thursday night with a 10.38 percent increase in the municipal levy.
“The actual increase for 2005 was 2.37 percent, however, there was a carryover of [about eight] percent from 2004 which had been offset by $409,250 in DSSAB surplus funds last year,” noted DSSAB CAO Donna Dittaro.
“Unfortunately, this year the total cost must be recovered directly from the municipalities,” she added. “The DSSAB budget increases are primarily the result of uncontrollable increases in the costs to deliver land ambulance service.”
For example, in 2001, the ministry fixed paramedic wages at $20.40 per hour. In 2005, the paramedic wage is expected to rise to more than $27 per hour in Northwestern Ontario—a 32 percent jump over four years.
“These eight percent increases are currently being funded at the expense of municipal taxpayers as the province refuses to pick up any wage increases over one percent,” Dittaro explained.
“At the present time, the province owes the [Rainy River DSSAB] approximately $730,000 to cover their share of total ambulance costs. Of that amount, approximately $645,000 is directly attributed to arbitrated wage settlements for paramedics in the district,” she added.
“The issue is not just about money,” said Emo Reeve Russ Fortier, who chairs the local DSSAB. “Every dollar not funded may result in a cut to service either within land ambulance or a service within a municipality.”
At a recent meeting with Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Ken Boshcoff, Reeve Fortier said he was told the federal government has transferred funds to the province to address health care issues.
The DSSAB has made all the administrative cuts it can, he said. “The solution is simple—it’s time for the province to pay their share,” Reeve Fortier stressed.
The board passed two resolutions Thursday night, including one petitioning Premier Dalton McGuinty and Health minister George Smitherman “to return the delivery of land ambulance services to the province, at the earlier possible date.”
The other calls on the premier and the minister “to acknowledge the financial crisis created by the provincial government in the District of Rainy River and to fulfill the provincial obligation of full 50 percent cost-sharing.”
It goes on to read “that should the province fail to provide funding to sustain the existing levels of service by May 31, 2005, the [RRDDSAB] will be forced to take steps, effective June 30, 2005, to reduce land ambulance service to affordable levels, effective Jan. 1, 2006.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
