The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions is gearing up for a health care funding fight.
The Huron Perth Health Care Alliance has announced it will close 17 beds as part of its realignment and it denies this has anything to do with budget cuts from the province.
The OCHU disagrees.
Its President Michael Hurley believes local hospitals need about $1.6 million more from the Ontario government to keep those beds open but the hospital boards are gagged.
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Hurley says it’s not surprising that hospital administrators would downplay the funding problem.
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Hurley says our hospitals are severely underfunded and the new round of closures will add more pressure.
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Hurley says we can’t just keep closing hospital beds.
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The OCHU has launched a postcard campaign aimed at Health Minister Eric Hoskins, asking for additional funding for the Alliance.
There will be a public meeting on July 30th to escalate the campaign.
For more information, go to the OCHU website.