Ford just passed Bill 60, dangerously derailing Ontario’s public health system off its track.
For certain surgeries, the government would now solve backlogs through assigning the surgeries to private hospitals and agencies -- then paying them higher premiums.
This is a now-known Ford scheme -- using public money to benefit private investors at the expense of the taxpayer -- but together we can stop it before it’s too late.
Thousands of Ekō members as well as thousands of unionized nurses and health professionals in Canada are publicly opposing this privatization bill because of higher costs and lower expected outcomes. We now urgently need hospital CEOs to join the call and reject bill 60.
Tell your local hospital CEO: Our health is not for profit
Experts find that Bill 60 is a way to turn Ontario’s health system into a two-tiered system, without solving the major problems facing the people. On the contrary, the bill deals only with "easy" surgeries, and removes public scrutiny on private clinics hence shielding them from accountability.
It is also stripping the public health system of the support of staff nurses and health professionals. Instead of fairly compensating their efforts, the bill disregards them and allows public hospitals to hire private agencies at double the regular fees.
A few months ago, major pediatric hospitals had to cancel surgeries in order to respond to the influx of sick children. Today, 12000 Ontarian children are in need of surgeries, but the man behind Bill 60 is not concerned at all.
Public hospital CEOs know all of this, and it is their duty to protect patients and the public health system those patients rely on. Let’s urge them to act and refuse bill 60 before the blow to the system becomes lethal. Sign now and share as much as you can.
More information
Ekō. 10 February 2023.
OPSEU/SEFPO. 27 March 2023.
Ontario Nurses' Association. 8 May 2023.
The Globe and Mail . 8 May 2023.
Toronto Star. 6 April 2023.
