Ontario NDP on Leaked Health Care Plan Documents
New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath provided details about the leaked documents that imply major changes to Ontario’s health care system. They include the following:
- Premier Ford is opening doors to health care privatization and will privatize specific critical services such as inspections, licensing, laboratories, the Assistive Devices Program and ORNGE.
- These documents also include the creation of a new Super Agency that will partner with public and private sector entities.
- Front-line care will also be managed by 30-50 MyCare groups and will be chosen through a bidding system with an “Expression of Interest”.
- Cabinet has approved this (including the Super Agency) and some members of the board have been appointed.
Minister Christine Elliott’s Response
Minister Elliott responded to the NDP’s announcement by noting that the Opposition has created confusion about Ontario’s health care system and confirmed that the government will not privatize the services listed in the documents released by the NDP.
She ensured that Ontarians will continue to access reliable health care through OHIP.
She also mentioned that this was an internal public document that the Minister had never seen before. She also noted that the NDP was doing this for political and fundraising purposes.
Minister Elliott concluded by saying that there are currently 32,000 people waiting for long-term care beds or more than 1,000 people being treated in hallways and storage rooms on any given day. The government is working hard towards a massive transformation and is undergoing consultations to improve Ontario’s current health care system.