________________________________
From: OntarioHealthCoalition <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Ontario Health Coalition via OntarioHealthCoalition <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 2:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [OHC] Fightback against Ford's health privatization - pls attend Emergency Mtng + upcoming events

Please share & distribute widely.



URGENT

Emergency Meeting to Fight Back Against the Ford Government's Privatization of our Public Hospitals

Tuesday January 31 via Zoom, 7 – 8:30 pm

All members, supporters and allies please join this emergency online meeting as we plan to mount a major and urgent fightback against Ford's initiative to privatize our public hospitals.

Last week, the Ford government announced their plans to build new for-profit surgical/diagnostic hospitals and expand for-profit clinics. At the same time, the Ford government has left our public hospitals with operating rooms that are closed in the evenings, on weekends, for days and months at a time, or even permanently, due to inadequate funding and staffing to run them. Similarly, MRIs and other diagnostics in public hospitals have been limited due to inadequate funding and staffing. Now, after having worsened the staffing crisis in public hospitals and having done nothing to ramp up public hospitals to operate to their capacity, Ford is launching privatization of their core services as if it is a “solution”. It is the old formula: create a crisis and privatize.

The private for-profit clinics that already exist in Ontario and across Canada are ground zero for extra-billing patients thousands of dollars for medically-needed diagnostic tests and surgeries. In addition, they routinely "upsell", manipulating patients into paying for medically unnecessary add-ons. It is already a very serious problem, and those for-profit clinics only do a small portion of what Ford is planning.

We are deeply concerned. The plan that Ford is now putting into action poses a fatal threat to public medicare in our province and our country. We are going to do everything in our power to stop this privatization.

We have some ideas to mount a fightback that could stop them if we can build it big enough. Please join us.

Tuesday January 31 via Zoom, 7 – 8:30 pm

Please register and fill in the information here (you will receive the Zoom link by email after you register): https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApd-upqDksG9PtSt5qAbsgMDZ3VnVAY6Zd



What can you do right now?

With our hospitals in crisis and plans to privatize public hospital services are being announced, it is vital that we have a strong show of support to tell the Ford government in no uncertain terms that they do not have a mandate from Ontarians to privatize our public health care. We need to get as many people as possible to scare the Ford government away from their plans to privatize and do nothing to help the crisis in our hospitals.

You can help by:

•       We need to show that those who oppose the privatization of our health care are a major force. Please count yourself in as a "Public Medicare Defender" and get your friends, colleagues and families to do so also. Sign up here: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/

•        Help educate our communities about the issues. Hand out leaflets in your community, place of worship or work. Printable leaflet is here: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/wp-content/uploads/Public-Medicare-Defender-Leaflet.pdf (NOTE: this leaflet will be updated tomorrow Jan. 24 to reflect the current announcement and plans of the Ford government).

•        Fill in and share this survey with your seniors' organization, patient group, community group, friends, family and neighbours to collect evidence on what patients are being charged in private clinics. You can fill it in online here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0SYm3eHDxx2tYPxKOCSmSeeR8jiuqPsUH76Uu3vv8tT2jOQ/viewform?usp=sf_link or the printable version here: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/wp-content/uploads/final-survey-re-private-clinics-extra-billing.pdf



Ontario Health Coalition

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Local Health Coalition Meetings

Everyone is welcome to join regular local health coalition meetings, where discussions on local and provincial public health care take place. They are listed below for the next month. If your local coalition is holding a meeting or has a regular monthly meeting date, please email back with ATTN: SALAH in the subject line and let us know.



TODAY: Monday January 23

London Health Coalition Online Meeting

6 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact Peter Bergmanis at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Ottawa Health Coalition Monthly Meeting

7 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact the Ottawa Health Coalition at: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Tuesday January 24

Guelph District Health Coalition Monthly Meeting

7 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact the Guelph District Health Coalition at: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Wednesday January 25

Durham Health Coalition Monthly Meeting

7 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact Lance Livingstone at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Monday January 30

Hamilton Health Coalition Monthly Meeting

5 pm, USW Local 1005 Hall, 350 Kenilworth Ave. N., Hamilton

For more information: please contact Janina Lebon at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Thursday February 2

North Bay Health Coalition In-Person & Online Meeting (Hybrid)

6 pm, OPSEU Region 6 Office, 150 1st Ave W, North Bay

For more information and Zoom details: please contact Henri Giroux at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Wednesday February 8

Thunder Bay Health Coalition Monthly Meeting

6:30 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact Jules Tupker at: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Thursday February 9

Greater Toronto Health Coalition Online Meeting

8 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact Riley Sanders at: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Thursday February 16

Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton, Wallaceburg-Walpole Island Health Coalitions’ Monthly Meeting

7 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact Shirley Roebuck at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>



Discussion with MP Rob Oliphant on Long-Term Care Homes (organized by the Toronto Area Interfaith Council)

The Toronto Area Interfaith Council is inviting the public to participate in a meeting with Liberal MP Rob Oliphant to address the need for meaningful improvements in the delivery of long-term care. He has agreed to meet with members of the faith community and others in Toronto to exchange views on what should be included in national standards for long-term care.

We all know that residents of long-term care homes were hit hardest during COVID. Outbreaks and deaths continue to occur even with the broad application of the vaccine. However, failure to properly care for residents in long-term care homes has been the case for decades, well before the outbreak, as the pandemic laid bare the longstanding failure of many long-term care homes to provide residents with a safe & healthy environment, and with essential & high-quality care. A major source of the problems is the refusal of operators to provide enough care and to be accountable.

All who are concerned with these issues are welcome. They expect to have knowledgeable health care advocates in attendance, including our own Shalom Schachter, who is the chair of our interfaith committee and a member of our LTC committee, who can assist us in identifying proposals that will significantly improve care for our elderly family members and friends whether they seek care in their own homes or in long-term care homes.

Tuesday January 24

6:30 pm, 1155 Yonge Street, Room 4A of the Catholic Pastoral Centre, Toronto

For more information: please contact the Toronto Area Interfaith Council using the link here: https://interfaithtoronto.com/356-2/



Enough is Enough! Campaign Kick-Off Online Meeting (organized by the Ontario Federation of Labour)

The Ontario Federation of Labour is asking: Are you fed up? With wages that can’t pay the bills? With getting gouged at the grocery store and the gas pump? With rent that no one can afford? With a government that has billions for its developer buddies, but won’t stop the collapse of our health care system? We’re fed up, too. So we’re saying: Enough is enough!

On January 28, join the Ontario Federation of Labour online to learn how to fight for, and win, the Ontario we need.

Join the fight for good jobs and decent work. Wages that can pay the bills. Housing we can afford. Public services that take care of everyone. When we work together, we win.

Saturday January 28 from 10 am – 3 pm

To receive the link to join the meeting, RSVP on the OFL website here: https://ofl.ca/event/eie-kickoff/


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