Defend Public Healthcare

Lots of fun yesterday at the OCHU/CUPE rally in defense of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), with a major focus on local Liberal MPP Jeff Leal. The rally called on him to start to fight for the local hospital, rather than the cuts. The so-called "Hospital Improvement Plan"   cuts 1 2 medical beds, along with 8 surgical beds, 4 critical care beds, and 4 beds for women and children.  The plan also envisages closing 32 beds at Christmas and March break, and closing 16 beds during 4 summer weeks.  Other cuts include: driving down the length of stay, reduced diagnostic testing, reduced CT scan staffing (despite already having CT wait times well over the provincial target), reductions in the neuro and breathing clinic, reductions in hospital cleaning staff, and reductions in dietary staff. As well, in January, 24 medical beds were reduced to "sub-acute" beds.  Eight other sub-acute beds are being created. But as these sub-acute beds are the targets of c

The Ontario Health Coalition is hosting a Health Action Assembly and Conference on the sustainability of health care. The Assembly and conference take place Saturday November 6th and Sunday November 7th, 2010 at the Bond Place Hotel, 55 Dundas St. E., Toronto. The OHC, as community-labour coalition, plays a vital role defending public health care (and public hospitals).  The Assembly and conference will be a great way for local union activists to learn more about the challenges to public hospital services and the community campaigns that are so necessary to defend them.  Please click here  to learn more and to register for the assembly and conference. dallan@cupe.ca

A couple of pics from the recent OCHU / CUPE Local 2875 rally to stop bed cuts at the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa. It was a great day. (And thanks for the pics to Louis and Local 1974 at Kingston General!)  Also -- the People's Healthcare Coalition, has collected more than 5,000 signatures calling for an investigation into what led to the decision to close the emergency rooms at Port Colborne and Fort Erie hospitals in Niagara. "We've had tremendous support so far," Coalition representative Pat Scholfield said, noting she collected several hundred signatures at the Market Square Friday morning. "Our goal is Queen's Park".

A short movie played today at the OCHU convention, featuring CUPE members speaking out about hospital cuts. YouTube - Hospital protests