FOR IMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11th, 1999

HARRIS AD's ON HEALTH CARE A SHAM

Kingston:

KINGSTON: Mike Harris in the 1995 election guaranteed the people of Ontario that he would not close hospitals or reduce health care funding. Recently, we have been saturated with numerous slick advertising campaigns, funded by taxpayers, seeking to convince us that health care spending is up and that the health care system under the Tories is working.

How can this possibly be true?

Thirty-five hospitals, including the Hotel Dieu, have been ordered closed, thousands of beds and staff have been cut, over 18,000 people are on waiting lists for long term care facilities,. Home Care is shamefully under-funded, Chronic Care patients are being dumped into much lower care beds, emergency rooms are overcrowded and often closed. People are being placed at serious risk, waiting lists for radiation, MRI and other services are growing. O.H.I.P. services are being de-listed, new co-payments for drugs mean that those on low or moderate incomes are being forced to choose between food or medicine. Everywhere, people are being forced to pay for care that was previously provided in the public system.

Despite the Tories false advertising propaganda, we know that spending on health care has not kept up with population demand or inflation. On the contrary, health care spending has decreased when these factors are considered. To make matters worse, individuals are being forced to pay more out of their own pockets.

We believe that there will be a political price to pay for the mess the Tories are making of our once renowned, world class health care system and the irreparable harm they have done to so many people who need care.

Try as he may, Mike Harris will not be able to convince Ontario that the restructured health care system is better. It is not, and we all know it.

Charlie Stock  (613) 549-6258			
President,									
Kingston and District Labour Council