MPP McNaughton not happy with hospital cuts

Today, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex PC MPP Monte McNaughton responded to recent cuts announced by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. The Alliance is facing a $5 million deficit and has recently announced cuts to both staffing and beds to help reduce the growing shortfall. McNaughton urged a two-pronged solution including further cuts to administration and overhead, along with stopping ongoing health care scandals.

“It is upsetting that the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has chosen to sacrifice patient care to help control their $5 million deficit,” said McNaughton. “I’d like to take a closer look at potential savings from further cuts to administration and overhead; perhaps there’s an extra manger or two, perhaps there’s some space that is currently going unused. Instead of balancing the budget by making reductions to front-line care, surely there are other options.”

CKHA officials have stated that 23.5 positions will be eliminated while 22 beds will be closed. Beds being closed include seven medicine beds; two surgery beds and three pediatric beds in Chatham, as well as 10 complex continuing care beds at the Sydenham campus in Wallaceburg.

McNaughton also took issue with the scandal-ridden McGuinty government who have squandered billions of taxpayer dollars, money that could go into protecting health care and ensuring hospitals like those in the CKHA remain properly funded.

“Between the $2 billion e-health debacle, to the hundreds of millions that have been wasted over at Ornge, to the layers-upon-layers of unnecessary bureaucracy at the LHINs, that money should’ve been used to ensure proper front-line health care for residents of Chatham-Kent and beyond, “ said McNaughton. “The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and all concerned citizens should not hesitate to lay blame for these closures at Dalton McGuinty’s feet. Quite simply, had he done a better job, we wouldn’t have seen these unnecessary scandals and wouldn’t need to close beds in Chatham-Kent.”