Healthcare cuts the focus at Queen's Park

Hospital cuts need to stop and funding must be restored.

That’s the message Health Coalition officials from across the province are delivering to Queen’s Park today (Tuesday), including a local delegation.

Officials announced the local results of their referendum yesterday with over 4,000 ballots cast calling for a stop to cuts and for funding to be restored.

Meantime, a call for a changing of the guard when it comes to Ontario’s Health Minister.

MPP Vic Fedeli cited job cuts and bed closures at hospitals across the region when asking the premier to bring in a new minister.

Health Minister Eric Hoskins replied that the Liberals have invested in healthcare in the north, including building several new hospitals like the North Bay Regional Health Centre and Mattawa General Hospital.

Fedeli also said rumours are “swirling that the hospital’s cancer clinic will be closed by the end of the year.”

Hoskins says this type of “rumour-mongering is creating anxiety” and they don’t have any plans to change the level, quality or location of cancer services in North Bay.