London Health Coalition: Ford government plans unprecedented for-profit privatization of health care

Ford government plans unprecedented for-profit privatization of health care: London Health Coalition to hold demonstration to fight privatization and protect public health care services

The Ford government is engaging in unprecedented health care privatization. Recently, Health Minister Christine Elliott announced plans to expand private for-profit clinics and hospitals in Ontario. The Ford government is midway in allocating more than 18,000 long-term care beds to for-profit companies in 30-year contracts unless we stop them; the majority going to the same companies responsible for thousands of deaths and horrific conditions – in fact the highest death rates – in the pandemic. Despite many repeated announcements, Ford has not reinstated comprehensive inspections nor improved care levels in long-term care, has not addressed the staffing crisis across health care, and has plans for years of budget austerity after the election.

It doesn’t stop there. Ford is privatizing the last remaining public parts of home care. His government has strictly curtailed access to public COVID testing while at the same time contracting for-profit clinics to do testing, has privatized COVID vaccinations, and is allowing those private for-profit testing clinics to charge patients up to $400 for COVID tests.

The London Health Coalition is holding a protest outside the for profit facility where on the campaign trail in 2018, Mr. Ford promised to address hallway medicine.  In fact, his government disregarded the idle underfunded ORs in the province’s public hospitals and is choosing instead to use public dollars to pad the profit margin of private investors while ignoring public waitlists for surgery.

Our goal is to protect and improve our vital public health care services and stop the unprecedented for-profit privatization of health care. The Ontario Health Coalition & London Health Coalition, a non-partisan public watchdog for health care, intend to set the threat to our public health care as a key election issue and push all political parties to make commitments to safeguard public health care, stop privatization and address the urgent needs to improve care and staffing.

Tuesday May 31
London Health Coalition at 11:00 am
230 Victoria St, London, ON

You can RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/1045386236077897