By Pepper Parr
March 13th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
This looks like the way it is going to be.
Marit Stiles, leader of the Opposition at Queen’s Park was in Kingston today asking the government to provide Ontarians with answers on why they are using public tax dollars to fund private, for-profit health care providers. She was joined by Ross Sutherland from the Kingston Health Coalition.
Stiles called for transparency following Kingston Health Services Corporation contracting out eye surgeries to Focus Eye Care, which is a private, for-profit clinic.
Marit Stiles, Leader of the Opposition at Queen’s Park
All we’re asking from Doug Ford is for some transparency. We don’t know the details of this specific deal and we just need some answers from the government,” said Stiles.
“Why are they using public tax dollars to line the pockets of wealthy shareholders rather than use that same money to fund Kingston’s public hospital when we know that it costs the government about $100 more per patient to do surgeries at a private clinic than at a public facility?”
Cataract eye surgery.
In contrast to public hospitals, for-profit clinics run on a profit motive increasing the opportunity of putting shareholder profits and the bottom line ahead of quality patient care.
“I just want Ford to give the people of this province a straightforward answer on why they are choosing over and over again to use public tax dollars to fund private clinics instead of our public hospitals.
“We know what the solutions are to Ontario’s health care crisis – stop cutting health care and staff up. The government can literally do this today, but they are making an intentional decision to siphon funds away and invest them in private clinics. And we just want to know why,” said Stiles.
There is exactly 0 evidence that shifting procedures to private clinics will reduce wait times. This is an example of looking for a quick and easy fix with the least amount of effort. Lazy and dangerous.
What is the definition of insanity, “doing the same thing over and over expecting different results”.
I honestly don’t thing the complainers have ever experienced wait times at hospitals, hips/knees 2 yrs, cataract 2yrs, mri/ct 6 months.
The Liberals had many years in Ontario to fix it, but couldn’t. Now they just complain when someone tries too.
If I can use my OHIP card, do I really care if its at a hospital or Gov regulated clinic. Private clinics have be around a very long time. Your Doctors office is a “for profit”, otherwise he/she would be standing in the bread line.
It’s complicated situation…we need more assets in the province for people to gain access to quicker MRI’s, scans etc. There are ultrasound clinics that have MRI machines now and this will take load off the hospitals. It makes good sense. However, the flip side to this, is lack of governance on these private clinics…give you an example…if a specialist like cardiologist owns shares in an ultrasound clinic, they will likely feed their business with echocardiogram scans, even if not required to do so. They will just make sure certain checkmarks in place before doing so…mainly age in this example. Don’t think for one minute this doesn’t happen. I have a surgeon on my FB and he made comment to a pharmacist he knew still filled prescriptions for money knowing the patient had already passed away.