Press Releases 2008 |
Connect here to watch video September 22, 2008
KLEES Starts New Legislative Session with Strong Message for
Health Minister on Behalf of York Region
(Queen’s Park) Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees wasted no time in breaking in the newly-appointed Minister of Health and Long Term Care. Within the first hour of the Legislature's fall sitting, Klees stood in the Legislature to raise the issue of health care funding for York Region.
Klees gave the new minister a factual briefing on the inequitable treatment of York Region by the McGuinty government when it comes to health care funding as compared to the rest of the province:
“Newmarket and Aurora are within one of the fastest-growing regions in the province of Ontario and over the next three years will account for some 18% of the annual population growth in this province alone,” said Klees. “That means that our hospitals in York Region and other health care services will have to provide treatment to, on average, about 30,000 more people every year.”
Klees points out that York Region receives much less provincial funding for hospital and health care services compared to the average of the rest of Ontario. “We receive $232 less per resident for hospital funding alone with the result that our local hospitals are under-funded by more than $290 million each year compared to other regions across Ontario,” Klees said.
Klees called on the minister to put in place a comprehensive plan not only to address the doctor shortages, but also the shortages of specialists and other health care services in York Region.
That plan, said Klees, should be based on a new population-based funding model for health care. “This is the only way to ensure reliable and sustainable funding for health care services based on the needs of the community,” said Klees. “It will also ensure that health care funding decisions are placed beyond politics.”
-30-
Frank Klees, MPP
Newmarket-Aurora
416 509 8999