Health Care
After being elected in 1995 on the promise of
preserving health care in the province, the Ontario government immediately embarked on
a programme of drastic cuts to health care spending.
$132 MILLION CUT
One of the government's first measures was to cut $132 million in health care spending.
$2.2 BILLION ELIMINATED FROM THE SYSTEM
Over the next four years, the Ontario government proceeded to cut $800 million. Between
1995 and 1999, per capita spending by this government fell from $1, 765 to $1, 686. The
cumulative loss has been $2.2 billion.
NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF ONTARIO HOSPITAL BEDS HAVE BEEN CUT
Between 1990 and 1998, Acute Care beds were reduced by 33% while the number of Chronic
Care beds were reduced 28.2% over the same period.
HEALTH CARE IS LESS ACCESSIBLE
Since taking office, the Ontario government has forced seniors and those on welfare to
pay more for prescriptions. Some 22 services were delisted from the Ontario Health
Insurance Programme.
PRIVATIZATION OF HEALTH CARE
Hospitals and other health care institutions have moved further down the road to
commercialization, adopting private-sector management strategies, contracting out work
to the private sector, and entering into public-private partnerships. Increasingly,
health care institutions are relying on private funding and fund-raising to survive.
THE GLOBAL AGENDA
"...privately provided health care generates profits -- enormous profits -- for the
companies that provide it. Governments that favour and implement privatization are
therefore acting in the interests of these big corporations -- and against the interests
of the people they were elected to represent." from Public Pain, Private Gain,
The Privatization of Health Care in Ontario,
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
