Press Release
Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath issued the following statement Monday on the issue of hospital overcrowding in Thunder Bay:
“The hospital overcrowding crisis is all too familiar to the people of Thunder Bay,” she noted.
“Just last month, I stood in front of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and called on [Premier] Kathleen Wynne to fix the problem of hospital gridlock and hallway medicine.
“But she let us down again. In the first week of the 2018, the situation is only getting worse.
“When a hospital that’s built to handle 335 patients suddenly has to make room for 70 extra patients, resources are stretched and caregivers are pushed to the breaking point.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Horwath said. “On June 7, people in Thunder Bay can chose to elect a new premier who will make health care a priority.
“Patrick Brown is not the answer,” she charged. “He has shown that he will carry on the Conservative tradition of cutting public services.
“His platform includes another $6.1 billion in cuts to jobs and services we all count on.
“I will put an end to damaging Liberal health-care cuts that led to the constant state of hospital bed gridlock in Thunder Bay,” Horwath pledged.
“New Democrats will properly fund hospitals, including support that recognizes the unique needs of Thunder Bay and communities across the north,” she noted.
“When families bring a loved one to the hospital in their time of need, they should never be stuck waiting for care on a stretcher in the ER hallway.”
