NDP: Ford directing public dollars to a for-profit clinic instead of public hospital

KINGSTON – Leader of the Official Opposition NDP, Marit Stiles, was in Kingston Monday asking the government to provide Ontarians with answers on why they are using public tax dollars to fund private, for-profit health care providers. She was joined by Ross Sutherland from the Kingston Health Coalition.

Stiles called for transparency following Kingston Health Services Corporation contracting out eye surgeries to Focus Eye Care, which is a private, for-profit clinic.

“All we’re asking from Doug Ford is for some transparency. We don’t know the details of this specific deal and we just need some answers from the government,” said Stiles.

“Why are they using public tax dollars to line the pockets of wealthy shareholders rather than use that same money to fund Kingston’s public hospital when we know that it costs the government about $100 more per patient to do surgeries at a private clinic than at a public facility?”

In contrast to public hospitals, for-profit clinics run on a profit motive increasing the opportunity of putting shareholder profits and the bottom line ahead of quality patient care.

“I just want Ford to give the people of this province a straightforward answer on why they are choosing over and over again to use public tax dollars to fund private clinics instead of our public hospitals.

“We know what the solutions are to Ontario’s health care crisis – stop cutting health care and staff up. The government can literally do this today, but they are making an intentional decision to siphon funds away and invest them in private clinics. And we just want to know why,” said Stiles.