The McGuinty Liberals need to put an end to the US-style privatization of Ontario’s public health care system NDP MPP Peter Kormos said today.

“In short – private American-style health care makes public health care worse and medical wait times longer for ordinary people. If you have $10 for health care, you should put $10 into health care, not $7 into health care and $3 for private profit",” said Kormos.

Kormos was responding to reports that the McGuinty Liberals are considering contracting out knee surgeries to the Don Mills Surgical Unit Ltd., a private health care company.

“In 2003, the McGuinty Liberals promised to end the creeping privatization of health care because it was a ‘step backward’,” said Kormos. “Since they were elected however, we’ve seen a constant increase in the role of the private sector in our public health care system and an ever growing list of services that Ontarians are being forced to cover out of pocket.”

Over the last three and a half years the McGuinty Liberals have:
 Delisted chiropractic care, eye care and physiotherapy.

 Moved ahead with the private hospitals they promised to stop in Brampton and Ottawa, and announced 23 more private hospitals across Ontario

 Allowed for an increasing presence of private health care companies in all sectors of the public health system, even going so far as to allow private firms to run Emergency Room Management in Ontario’s hospitals.

“Dalton McGuinty promised to end the privatization of our health care system. Instead, he’s become one of its biggest proponents,” said Kormos.