The provincial government’s refusal to meet with Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller to discuss the state of local health care is a frightening indication of its level of concern for Ontario’s cash-strapped hospitals.
The province’s message? Times are tough, and hospitals must make do with what they’ve got. In the case of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, it’s clear that help in eliminating the organization’s deficit won’t be forthcoming.
This means more tough decisions for MAHC’s board, and more potentially harmful cutbacks that could affect patient care.
But while abandoning local protests or checking out of the debate altogether is tempting, there are small signs of hope on the horizon. Even with pressure to cut costs, our hospital board appears to be getting the message that some services are worth fighting for.
Instead of yanking its outpatient rehab program completely, MAHC has opted for a scaled-back version of the service, something that will save dollars but still help patients.
A small victory in comparison to some of the other proposed service changes, but a victory nonetheless.
It’s a reminder that a unified public voice can and does have an effect. When enough people get together and present a clear argument for change, those in authority will listen.
The 2004 crisis in South Muskoka Memorial Hospital’s emergency room is another case in point. When ER doctors threatened to walk out following reductions in salary, the massive public outcry caused the province to step in and create a tailor-made solution. Then-Ontario health minister George Smitherman travelled to South Muskoka Memorial Hospital where he personally announced a resolution.
The incident, though unsettling, showed how much we in South Muskoka truly value our hospital services and how far we are willing to go to maintain them.
It is a good reminder of what may be required of us as we enter into this new and frightening era of health care reform.
JL