Health Coalition Demands that Ontario Government Stop Privatizing Healthcare
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- Published on Wednesday, 30 September 2020 00:40
- Written by editor
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A Socialist Project e-bulletin ... No. 2204 ... September 30, 2020
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Health Coalition Demands that Ontario Government Stop Privatizing Healthcare
Ontario Health Coalition
The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) expressed deep concern about the Doug Ford government’s privatization of healthcare services, the lack of a coherent plan for a second-wave of COVID-19, and cuts and layoffs at public hospitals while the government shifts funding to private companies for COVID-19 related services. On September 22, Premier Ford said, "I think it is a free market society" in response to questions about private for-profit companies charging Ontarians up to $400 for COVID-19 testing. Under the Canada Health Act patients cannot be charged for medically-necessary services, including diagnostic tests.
On September 23, the Ford government announced plans to contract private for-profit pharmacies to have COVID testing in their stores. Today (September 24), CBC revealed a draft document developed by the government that proposes to use of so-called private for-profit clinics (euphemistically called "independent health facilities") to clear diagnostic and surgical backlogs. The Ontario Health Coalition responded today with a call to reopen closed operating rooms and ramp up existing... capacity in the public healthcare system and warned that it will do everything it can to stop the government from undermining public healthcare, expanding for-profit privatization, and giving private contracts to companies with which it has close connections.
