QUEEN’S PARK — NDP Health critic France Gélinas said that Doug Ford’s scheme to cut the number of northern Public Health Units to just two — down from nine — is dangerous to the health and safety of Northerners.
By collapsing all northern health units into just two, Ford will force each to cover thousands of kilometres and hundreds of thousands of people, in communities with very different Public Health needs.
“Public Health Units operate in the community, delivering vaccination programs, inspecting drinking water supplies, and stepping in when there’s an outbreak to identify, contain and stop the spread of illness and disease,” said Gélinas. “These callous cuts spread Public Health Units thin — with less money to protect more people over a more vast territory.
“Public Health Units are working behind the scenes every day to keep our families safe and healthy. Cutting their work puts people at risk.”
Ford’s cutting Ontario’s 35 Public Health Units and collapsing them into just 10. In Northern Ontario, Ford’s scheme would leave a mere two public health units left to service all of Northern Ontario:
- Region 9: Nipissing (part of Renfrew), Muskoka (part of Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit), North Bay Parry Sound, Sudbury, Algoma, Timiskaming, Porcupine
- Region 10: Thunder Bay, Northwestern Health Unit
