September 15th, 2020

Ford must provide funding to end overcrowding, surgery backlog at Health Sciences North

QUEEN’S PARK – During question period Tuesday, Nickel Belt NDP MPP France Gélinas called on Doug Ford to provide the funding Sudbury’s health system and Health Sciences North need to end overcrowding and provide desperately needed surgeries.
“The situation at Health Sciences North in Sudbury is getting more dire by the day. The hospital is operating at 104 per cent capacity and last week they had to cancel every elective surgery due to overcrowding,” said Gélinas.
“The government says they have a plan to clear the surgical backlog, but it is clear they either do not have a plan, or their plan is not working.”
Gélinas said that with no help from the government, the situation at Health Sciences North is only going to get worse.
“The flu season is coming up quickly, and a second wave of COVID-19 would make everything worse, if not disastrous,” said Gélinas. “Doug Ford should not leave our hospital to cobble together a plan on their own. Our community needs our hospital to be functional, and we need it to be able to withstand a surge in illnesses coming in the next couple months.
“Will the premier commit today to providing additional, adequate funding to relieve the strain on our heath care system and Health Sciences North to help people who are sick and in pain get the surgeries they so desperately need?”