Ontario NDP leader joins residents to fight Minden ER closure
Residents, political leaders and advocacy groups are ramping up the pressure on the Ford government to step in as the clock ticks down to the closure of Minden's emergency department, but so far, their cry for help has gone unanswered.
"Doug Ford needs to step in and help this community out," said 'Save Minden ER' Coalition Leader Patrick Porzuczek.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
On Thursday, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles visited the town to support the fight against the June 1 closure.
"We're not going to take no for an answer here. This community deserves that kind of care, and if we don't, frankly, save this emergency department, then this is just going to be more pressure on other small rural town hospitals," Stiles stated.
Similar closures have already happened in Chesley, Ont., where the emergency department has been closed for 24/7 care since December, and Grey Bruce Health Service (GBHS) warned that further emergency department closures would likely come to all its hospitals this summer, noting temporary service reductions were being discussed "as a last resort."
In a release issued Thursday, GBHS echoed the issues heard by hospital officials across the province.
"Unfortunately, it is expected that contingency plans will need to be put in place where staffing shortages make it unsafe to keep the doors open."
In a community message, Haliburton Highlands Health Services Acting Chief of Staff Dr. Norm Bottum stated that the medical team is "deeply committed to delivering high-quality and safe care."
It continues in part, "The decision to close the Minden emergency department and consolidate services at one site as of June 1, 2023, has been an incredibly difficult decision for our leadership that was made after many years of searching for solutions that would stabilize and protect emergency services in the County over the long term.
Our goal is to ensure our community has a stable and safe emergency care system that you can all count on. This means having an emergency department that is open and able to provide quality services - each and every time someone shows up in an emergency department."
Buttom added the community "is supported by access to 911."
The Ontario Health Coalition criticized the sudden closure announcement, saying it bypassed the regular process and democratic checks and balances.
Meanwhile, a petition for the province to impose a one-year moratorium on the planned Minden emergency department closure has surpassed 24,000 signatures, well over the town's population.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.