Pickering wants fair health funding
Metroland - Durham Division
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Page: 01
Section: Ajax-Pickering News Advertiser - News
Byline: By Danielle MilleyStaff Writer
Column: 1
Source:

PICKERING - Pickering is demanding the Ontario Government immediately address the funding shortfall for GTA/905-area hospitals.

At the May 17 council meeting, council passed a motion demanding the province address the $88 million 2004/05 funding shortfall for those hospitals.

The motion is in response to a report presented at a recent management forum meeting by the Tariq Asmi, executive director of the GTA/905 Health Care Alliance. It showed in 2002/03 Durham hospitals would have received another $86.6 million in funding if they received the provincial average; and that gap was $544 across all GTA/905 hospitals.

"It demonstrated what we've heard a lot: that we have a rapidly growing population and an aging population and the hospital and health-care services are not able to keep up," said Ward 3 City Councillor David Pickles. "Obviously there is a gap and that gap needs to be filled."

He said local residents pay enough that they deserve to have their local hospitals funded adequately.

"It is a provincial responsibility. We pay income taxes and health premiums for it," Coun. Pickles said. "The people of Pickering and Durham pay and they deserve their fair share."

Ward 2 City Councillor Doug Dickerson talked about the funding gap being part of the bigger picture of provincial underfunding, while he said Premier Dalton McGuinty talks about the gap between what Ontario gives to Ottawa and what it gets back.

"The hypocrisy is that they allow these same funding gaps to apply to municipalities and health units," he said. "They shouldn't be allowed to operate on the do as I say, not as I do theory."

He said municipalities have to speak up the same way the Province has spoken up when it comes to federal funding.

"This motion serves notice that municipalities, when it comes to health care, are mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore," Coun. Dickerson said.

The rest of council agreed they need to ask for their fair share of not only health-care funding, but in many different areas.

"Every party has done a disservice to municipalities east of Yonge Street," Mayor Dave Ryan said.

The motion also asked that the Province make legislative and regulatory changes so that revenue generated by local governments through development charges can be used to support the construction and renovations to hospitals.