Advisory - [Ottawa]: Volunteers are Mounting Referendum to Save Local Hospitals

OTTAWA, April 22, 2016 /CNW/ - Major Cuts to Ottawa Area Hospitals Set to Continue: 2016  Proposed Budget will mean More Cuts

SINCE 2012:

• More than 100 million in cuts to The Ottawa Hospital alone meaning a loss of hundreds of nursing and allied professional health care positions and over 500 support staff positions
• 50 nursing positions cut at CHEO meaning a loss of over 90,000 hrs of pediatric care
• Elizabeth Bruyere: 120 -150 positions including PCA s and Palliative Care Attendants & 30 cleaners last year
• Hospitals often in gridlock and operating at over 100% capacity
• Ontario Hospitals funded well below the national average. In Ottawa alone this means over $300 million less for our hospitals every year!

Ontario is currently in the ninth consecutive year of real-dollar cuts to global hospital budgets, the longest stretch in Ontario's history. These cuts mean that hospitals across the province, cannot keep up even with basic inflation. Hospitals have been cut to the point of dangerous overcrowding and under-staffing and patients are paying the price.

On Monday April 25, details about a volunteer-led, cross-Ontario referendum taking place in Ottawa and conjointly in communities all across Ontario, will be announced at a  visual media event.

Visuals	This will be very visual with speakers flanked by balloons , ballot boxes and over sized ballots
When	Monday April 25, 10:30 AM
Where	Centretown Community Health Centre, Rm.209, 420 Cooper St. Ottawa
What	Media event to launch [Ottawa]'s plan to join Ontario-wide volunteer-led referendum.
Who	Ottawa & Ontario Health Coalitions.

SOURCE Ontario Health Coalition

contact Albert Dupuis (613-808-7710) or Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition, 416-441-2502 (office), 416-230-6402 (cell).