MUSKOKA —More than 500 people have signed a petition requesting Ontario’s health minister provide a one-time funding boost to help Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare climb out of a multimillion-dollar debt load.
The petition, started last month by Huntsville district councillor Fran Coleman and Parry Sound-Muskoka Member of provincial Parliament Norm Miller, requests a five per cent or $3.4-million increase to MAHC’s 2010-11 budget.
MAHC could have a total $5.8-million debt load by the end of the current fiscal year.
Its deficit recovery plan, submitted to the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network on Friday, recognizes $5.3 million in savings by 2012.
That’s not enough for the health care organization to break even, Coleman has said.
Miller agrees that it’s an issue.
He said many of MAHC’s costs are beyond its control: hospitals are highly unionized environments and drug costs climb up to eight per cent annually. Other costs such as food and energy are also rising.
“The real costs are going up probably by at least five per cent,” said Miller.
Hospital budgets
Meanwhile, the province is warning that hospital operating budgets won’t increase more than two per cent.
The province has asked Ontario hospitals to prepare 2010/11 fiscal year budgets based on zero, one and two per cent increases.
Last week, Miller was denied a request to meet with Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews. Her staff offered a meeting with her policy people instead, saying it is inappropriate for the minister to discuss budget issues, said Miller.
“They’re using the LHIN as a shield from the tough choices that are being made in health care,” he said.
He said he’ll present the petition once the legislature is back in session. That’s scheduled for Feb. 16.
“I want to make sure the minister’s aware of what’s happening on the ground and the difficult decisions being made,” he said.
Last week, Huntsville council endorsed the petition at a special meeting of council.