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Liberal MPPs

If you can judge by the attempts of Liberal MPPs to divert local communities, the local campaigns to get the McGuinty government to stop cutting local hospital services are getting stronger.

One novel response is from Jim Brownell, the Liberal MPP for Stormont Dundas and South Glengarry. He has begun to promote the idea of regionalizing hospital services, suggesting that hospitals should develop ‘areas of expertise’.

Brownell, I believe, is on very thin ice with his constituents. It's hard to see how the hospital services for people in Cornwall, Alexandria, and Winchester are going to benefit. Likely, people from smaller communities will have to travel to larger centres (if they can). Perhaps the smaller hospitals might work out a niche for some specialized services which they could provide to a very large catchment area. But is that really what people want from their local hospital? I doubt it.

dallan@cupe.ca
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