Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson is asking the province for some answers when it comes to healthcare. Bisson spoke in the Legislature yesterday, asking the Health Minister about a specific case out of Moonbeam. A senior man needs urgent heart surgery; he went to Hamilton to see a specialist, and then was told he would have to wait nine months for surgery due to cutbacks at the hospital. Bisson says this is direct result of a flatlined budget, despite healthcare being the largest single expenditure the province has.
Bisson says the reality is the population is getting older, more services are required, and technology is making healthcare more expensive every day. He says tomorrow’s budget is going to be a tough one, as money is getting moved around. For example, the province is putting more money into infrastructure funding, which Bisson says on its own is not a bad thing. However, he is asking where that money is going to come from. He questions if they will continue flatlining budgets in the hospital sector, or will they continue not to increase homecare needs.
The provincial budget will be released tomorrow.