Ernie Hardeman Voices Concern Over Health Care Wait Times

Wednesday, 9 December 2015 06:43

Oxford County's MPP has brought health care wait time concerns from local residents to the Ontario Legislature

QUEEN'S PARK - MPP for Oxford County Ernie Hardeman appeared at the Ontario Legislature yesterday to communicate Oxford County residents' concerns about health care wait times.

"I raise today because of the impact the government's health care cuts are having on my constituents," Hardeman said. "I have heard from many constituents who have had their surgeries scheduled but are now told they have to wait many, many months into the new fiscal year because there is no money for their surgeries. These are not numbers - these are people who are facing a terrible situation because of these delays."

Hardeman says he has heard from several people who are waiting for life altering surgeries for cataracts and hips. "The impact of cataract and hip surgery is life changing. All these people should be receiving their surgeries as scheduled but instead for Christmas they received the devastating news that they need to wait many months because the government has mismanaged the budget. Helping these people and planning the health care system properly should be the government's priority."

Hardeman offered up some harsh criticism for the government, and said things need to change. "I ask the government to stop making up for their mismanagement by cutting the services that people need. For Christmas give my constituents the news they disserve - that there will be no more delays for these life changing surgeries."

This comes after two separate studies about wait times in Canada by the Wait Time Alliance and the Fraser Institute suggested that we are no closer to lessening the amount of time between referral and treatment. Those studies do however suggest that Ontario and Saskatchewan have the shortest wait times in the country. Some of the data also found there's been some improvement when it comes to cardiac and radiation treatments.