Liberal MPPs and Hospital Cuts

Lakridge CEO Kevin Empey says the public focus at a LHIN meeting last November "embarrassed" the government into providing a significant funding increase. Lakridge was among four hospitals in this LHIN's region that received a total of $10 million. Empey said he understood MPPs whose constituents use Lakeridge facilities lobbied for the financial support.

Elsewhere, other Liberal MPPs have been active.

MPP Rick Bartolucci announced in December the funding of a whack of new Sudbury Regional Hospital convalescent beds (http://www.rickbartolucci.com/pressreleases.aspx?id=157 ) . The funding of new convalescent beds at Sudbury Regional Hospital helped deal with the overflow of hospital patients in Sudbury. Other solutions will be slower and "much harder" according to one doctor involved in the issue.

In contrast, other hosptials are cutting hospital beds with the approval of their local Liberal MPP. Cornwall's Jim Brownell and Northumberland's Lou Rinardi come to mind.
My conclusion? We’d be doing a whole lot better if some more Liberal MPPs started to fight for their local hospitals.

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