Three of the Ontario Liberal leadership hopefuls are putting forth their healthcare platforms.
Bonnie Crombie, Nate Erskine-Smith and Ted Hsu answered questions about health care in a question-and-answer session held by the Ontario Health Coalition.
Yasir Naqvi could not attend due to a previous commitment.
All of the participating candidates pledged to provide more funding, increase the workforce, repeal Bill 124 and end the privatization of services.
Crombie says patients should be put ahead of profits.
“I don’t believe in the private clinics, and I want to ensure that our hospitals, large and small, are properly funded, streamlined and that our healthcare professionals are obviously properly paid as well and receive a fair wage and a minimum wage,” says Crombie.
Crombie also gave support to the building of a new hospital in Kenora.
Erskine-Smith says while there is a need to spend more, there is also a need to spend in the right places.
He also says it is important to ensure equity in health care and that the efficiency of the non-profit system is defended.
“I’ve spoken to many experts who say it does make sense to remove knee surgeries, hip surgeries, non-acute surgeries from acute care settings, but it doesn’t make sense to move them into for-profit surgery clinics. They should be community-led surgery clinics, non-profit surgery clinics that are integrated with our public healthcare system and the hospital system,” says Erskine-Smith.
Ted Hsu says he would look to invest in home and community care and long-term care to help free up space in hospitals.
He would also consider incentives that encourage more medical professionals to work in northern Ontario.
“I do believe that we need to offer financial incentives for medical healthcare professionals to work in the north, and also incentives and encouragement for people who are from the north to enter into the healthcare professions, to enter into schooling for the healthcare professions,” says Hsu.
The Liberals will elected a new leader in December.
