CTV News Ottawa

Linda Brown RN
Closing beds and cutting staff will result in longer wait times for surgeries, MRI's, CT's,
in ER waiting rooms and for admitted patients in the ER.
The majority of hospital budgets is nursing staff - and the closures and the cuts will result in lost RN jobs. This is unacceptable for the public, for health care and for Nursing in general. The message it sends is that Nursing is expendable (hence the cuts and closures) and the public deserves better than that.
The closure of beds will result in sicker patients staying not only in the ER but in the community, without access to nursing care and medical management.
The system must change to reflect the population we take care of!

MP
It boggles the mind that the Provincial and Federal Governments dished out BILLIONS to help the ailing manufacturing and automotive sectors yet do very little with healthcare.

Priorities? They couldn't spell it to save their own lives.

sls
I suggest an emergency room user fee of $10 or $20. May not seem like a lot but every bit helps and it would make those who are not really sick think twice about coming in. You don't want it too high as to be completely restrictive but too many people are wasting resources (and as a result money) by running to the hospital than going to their Dr or walk in clinics. Just a thought.

Marion
Here we go again. I agree with MP and Linda Brown, what gives. We pay a lot in health care taxes and I would like to know where it actually goes.

I agree, we can find the money for the automotive and manufacturing sectors. We can find money to push the HST tax through but we, all of a sudden, do not have enough money for healthcare. It just boggles the mind, and where will it end.

Stefan P
What has happen with the money the government collects FROM OUR INCOME TAX THAT IS RIGHT HEALTH CARE PRENMIUM BASE ON YOUR SALARY. Where is the money gone.

jay
sls
Yes and some who really need care may not be able to afford it.When you start charging for er visits your going ona very slippery slope and one that may not be a good way to go.You could aslo have people that say maybe i should go to the er but i need the money for food.

Bubba in Barrhaven
This sounds like the downloading of expenses that the PC's did under Bill Davis years ago. Now the Liberals are doing it.

We need to increase our spending to hospitals, not decrease them. The hospitals already have too few beds. Closing beds is like closing service bays in a garage. Problem is, when you close enough service bays(beds), you can no longer do your primary job, fix people. Instead I suggest that we layoff some politicians. We'd save billions on their salaries, not have to listen to their griping all the time, decisions could be made quicker, and we wouldn't have to close beds.

If you look at closing beds as a cure, what happens when you have no more beds to close? Close the hospitals?

Clearly, closing beds is not a workable solution. This one should be laid at the feet of our premier, Dalton McGuinty, and his Liberal Party.

Steve in Vanier
Instead of cutting beds and nursing positions, how about cutting the exorbitant salaries earned by hospital administrators?

Steve Dolesch
This is unethical and, yes, we are hearing the same thing has Mike Harris tried to do: demolish health care. I'm not an Ontario resident but I follow and write about issues like health care, education and social issues. You see, these three domains need sustainable financing year after year. This is not a game that any government should play with people.

We just had a H1N1 vaccination period. What would the governments do if they cut budgets and had a real pandamic? It would have been a disaster if there were not enough beds and even hospitals that could admit people. Listen people, I suggest that you tell your MPs and MPPs that this is enough. Health care must be provided and you have the right to demand a sustainable health care service.

Marc L
Today is a great example. We have a two tier health system. Nothing against Jason Spezza who is a great hockey player and a valued member of the city of Ottawa and all the charities he helps, but getting an MRI a few days after an injury when someone like me and many others have to wait over 8 months minimum plus just to get an MRI is unjust. We have a growing system for the rich and a growing system for the poor.
We need more funding in hospitals and less investment in computer systems that never produce results.

Marc

Mike Pado
Why not take the money from E Care, O we spent that on dougnuts and other important things. if they got some of this money back maybe heathcare would be a little better. But the law does'nt apply to some people.

John in Ottawa
Hospitals should look at cuts to administration and middle management before contemplating negative actions such as closing beds or reducing front line staff levels.

Cliff, Ottawa
Here we go with the old scare tactics again! Hospitals should be well funded but we never get an accounting of where all the money actually goes. I agree that hospital admin. types are over paid. Union staff do very well too. Nurses eat their young and all the money is funneled to the senior nurses and to heck with the new, younger girls.
People also have to realize that health care is really not a freebie they can abuse at will, but I have little hope usage will improve.
Our problem is that all aspects of health care have become sacred cows and nobody gets clear answers, Maybe the government has some of the answers but they are so fixated on retaining power that we never get the information we need,

Cyn
The article says: "By law, Ontario hospitals must balance their books each year."
Can the reporter or CTV post where specifically the Law says this? Which Act, regulation? Please be specific.
Any good CEO will know half way the year that they are not meeting budget. So if these so called administrators broke the law, what's next?
Are they going to be fire? Or make accountable for their terrorist threat and mismanagement?
Thank you.

jay
Marc L
Do you know for a fact that spezza used a mri at the hospital.The reason i ask is alot of pro teams have there own medial equipment inluding mri.