Ontario Health Coalition holding public hearings on ER closures

A ‘Save our Hospital’ sign seen on Sept. 15, 2023. Chesley, Ont.’s ER is closed until September 25, raising community concerns about the future of Chesley’s entire hospital. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Ontario has seen more than 1,200 temporary closures of emergency departments and other hospital services over the past year, according to the Ontario Health Coalition.

The reason the government and hospital leaders have given for the rolling closures is a lack of nurses and qualified healthcare staff.

The Ontario Health Coalition does not believe that’s the only reason, and are holding public hearings across Ontario this month to find out what people in largely small towns, and rural communities affected by the healthcare cuts, want done about it.

“These hearings are a chance for people in rural and northern Ontario to share their experiences and to safeguard and improve our local hospitals, especially those at risk of closures,” says Brenda Scott, chair of the Grey-Bruce Health Coalition.

“We want to hear what has been cut, what if anything has improved, and what is needed to improve equity, save our hospitals and improve health care for rural Ontario,“ continues Scott, who has been leading the charge to save Chesley’s hospital, that’s seen it’s emergency department closed on weeknights and weekends for over a year.

The results of the hearings will be collected in a report with recommendations on how to improve and protect public health care, and small town hospitals across the province.

The public hearings will make stops in our region on June 8 in St.Marys, and June 18 in Chesley and Wingham.

“Decisions about our local hospitals have been removed from the local communities that have funded and relied upon them for generations,” added Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition.