NDP Health Critic France Gélinas today stood with people from across rural and northern Ontario protesting local hospital cuts at a Queen’s Park rally and in the Legislature during Question Period.

“After mounting job losses and service cuts to rural hospitals, the Minister of Health is now establishing a Northern and Rural Health Care Advisory Panel to look into the matter,” Gélinas said.

There is already quite a body of evidences to guide services restructuring in small, rural and Northern hospital. If the Minister needs more research then he needs to put a moratorium on any further cuts to small rural and northern hospitals in order to protect patient care.”

Ontarians living in small rural and Northern area want to maintain and improve their level of access to care not reduce it. When services are cut people needs do not go away. It just becomes harder for them to gain access to the care they need. It means driving longer distances for the residents of those area and it mean busier regional hospital centers.

“The Ministry is trying to buy time by creating an advisory panel. But what Ontarians really need is a government that will put a moratorium on any further cuts to small rural and northern hospitals in order to protect patient care ,” Gélinas said.