Horwath brings vision for better health care to Sault Ste. Marie

Sault families set to join Horwath to talk about better health care and push back against Ford’s health care scheme

SAULT STE. MARIE — NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath and Sudbury NDP MPP Jamie West will hold a town hall in Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday evening to hear from patients, families and community members and lay out a shared vision for better health care in Sault Ste. Marie.

“For decades, Sault families were forced to settle for crushing hospital waits, waits which are even worse if you need mental health care,” said Horwath. “Outside the hospital, Saultites face excruciatingly long waits for long-term care and receive too little hands-on care once they’re in a care home. And those struggling with addictions and seeking help still don’t have access to an opioid withdrawal management facility at the Sault Area Hospital.

“We need to push back against Doug Ford’s cuts to hospitals and health care and do so much better for Sault families.”

Doug Ford is removing local decision-making from health care with a scheme to rip up 20 health care agencies throughout the province and replace them with a Super Bureaucracy, throwing the door wide open to even more private companies competing for our public health dollars. Ford is also plotting to fold Ontario’s 35 public health units and 59 paramedic and emergency health services into just 10, respectively, with devastating consequences for northern municipalities.

Horwath has been touring the province to engage families and work on a better way forward.

“Families should be at the heart of every health care decision,” said Horwath. “New Democrats are partnering with Sault families and pushing forward for a future where everyone gets the care that they need when they need it. A system where our public health dollars go to services for people, not profits for corporations.

“New Democrats will continue to push back against Ford’s cuts and work to make health care better.”