S.O.S.: Save Our Services Day of Action to Stop Hospital Cuts in Scarborough and Ajax


SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 9, 2013) -

Attn: Assignment Editor

On Saturday, November 9, the Scarborough Health Coalition, the Durham Health Coalition and the Ontario Health Coalition will be holding a Day of Action in Scarborough, Pickering and Ajax. A cavalcade of cars, filled with concerned citizens, will travel to the offices of the local Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and a rally will be held at each office calling on the MPPs and the provincial government for improved hospital funding.

When and Where:

Saturday November 9, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm in Scarborough

9:30 am meet at the Canadian Tire parking lot at Sheppard and McCowan (4630 Sheppard Ave East) to decorate cars and distribute signs, etc.
10:30 am Rally Outside MPP Bas Balkissoon's constituency office
4559 Sheppard Ave East (near McCowan)
11:10 am Rally Outside MPP Soo Wong's constituency office
2245 Kennedy Rd (Kennedy and Sheppard)
12:00 pm Rally Outside MPP Hon. Brad Duguid's constituency office
2063 Lawrence Ave East (Lawrence and Warden Ave)
12:55 pm Rally Outside MPP Mitzie Hunter's constituency office
4117 Lawrence Ave East (just west of Kingston Rd)
1:40 pm Rally Outside MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti's constituency office
3090 Kingston Rd (north of St. Clair Ave East on Kingston Rd)

Saturday November 9, 3:00 pm - 4:45 pm in Pickering and Ajax

3:00 pm meet at 1367 Altona Road in Pickering (just north of Kingston Road outside of the Altona Road Community Church) to decorate cars and distribute signs, etc.
3:30 pm Rally at MPP Tracy MacCharles' office
Suite 13, 300 Kingston Road in Pickering
4:15 pm Rally at MPP Joe Dickson's office
201A - 50 Commercial Avenue in Ajax
4:45 pm Finish

Background:

The Scarborough Hospital and the Ajax Hospital are facing a $28 million shortfall next year. This is on top of $17 million in cuts at the Scarborough Hospital sites this year that have already resulted in the closure of two entire operating rooms, an arthritis clinic that served thousands of seniors, cuts to dozens of hospital departments as more than 200 nurses, health professionals and support staff positions were cut. There is also a proposed merger of the Scarborough Hospital and the Rouge Valley Health System. The merger being studied includes proposals to further ration services between the Scarborough Birchmount, Scarborough General and Centenary Hospitals.

The provincial government has frozen funding - which in real dollar terms means a cut - for hospitals across Ontario, which has pushed many hospitals into deficit simply to maintain existing services. It is illegal for a hospital to run a deficit and this has led to millions of dollars in services cut in Scarborough and Ajax. The cuts must stop.

Contact Information:

Ontario Health Coalition
Kim Johnston
Campaign Director
416-441-2502 or by cell 647-381-7025
ohc@sympatico.ca
www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca