The Ontario Nurses’ Association is deeply troubled by health-care announcements this week from the government that outline major privatization plans..
This includes conducting thousands of surgeries in private hospitals.
“This is a blatant move that will line the pockets of investors, nothing more,” notes ONA President Cathryn Hoy, RN. “The evidence is clear: health-care privatization provides worse health outcomes to our patients, and has much higher overhead costs which will be paid by taxpayers. Ontario is deep-diving into privatization that will only benefit shareholders.”
Hoy also notes, “Today’s government announcement is nothing more than shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. Placing patients into ‘vacant’ long-term care beds and ‘alternative health facilities’ is another disaster waiting to happen.”
An initiative unveiled to support Emergency Department physicians was puzzling, according to the ONA President.
Hoy questions why there was nothing included about nurses, “Dozens of emergency departments were closed over the past few weeks due to a shortage of nurses. The government missed a huge opportunity here to bolster nurse compensation as a key to retention and recruitment to curb additional closures. Many physicians have voiced their support in increasing nurses’ compensation as a strategy. Again, the government ignored nurses.”
ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.
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