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NDP calls for more federal health funding and more provincial health spending

Patrick D Costa

QUEEN’S PARK — As the Council of the Federation meets, Interim NDP Leader Peter Tabuns says Doug Ford must not only fight for increased federal health transfers — but also commit to spending more in health care, immediately:

“Our hospitals are in crisis. We don’t have enough staff to keep all ERs open around the clock. Patients are waiting in pain for far too long while exhausted health care workers are run off their feet and leaving in droves.

Ontario is spending less per person on health care than every other province and territory.

We need increased federal health care transfers – but Premier Doug Ford needs to promise to start spending a workable amount on health care. Why is Ford funding Ontarians’ health care at a lower rate than Manitobans, Quebeckers and everyone else? Heck, Ford even held back federal COVID funding during the pandemic, refusing to direct federal health care dollars into health care.

Ford must commit right now to increase health care funding. That includes funding a plan to recruit, train, retain and return nurses, doctors and PSWs, as well as increasing hospital budgets so we have enough staff on every shift in our overworked and crowded hospitals. And Ford must commit that he will not privatize any part of our public health care.”

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