No reprieve for south Niagara services
TORONTO — As ceremonies for the launch of the west St. Catharines hospital took place Thursday morning, Welland MPP Cindy Forster was in Queen’s Park expressing the fears of her constituents.
“People are worried that the ribbons that are being cut today at the new St. Catharines hospital will mean out-of-business signs for south Niagara,” Forster said in the legislature during Question Period.
But Health Minister Deb Matthews made no commitment to preserving inpatient services at Welland or Niagara Falls hospitals, Forster added.
Those services, including pediatrics, obstetrics and mental health, are being consolidated across Niagara at the new northern hospital when it opens for business March 24.
“She certainly didn’t indicate today that she was going to intervene and put any stop to it,” Forster said in a phone interview. “She clearly is not listening to the people who live in south Niagara.”
Forster told Matthews: “Nearly 20,000 residents have signed a petition calling on the government to stop the move of important services from the Welland and Niagara Falls hospital sites to the new St. Catharines hospital. For many residents, that move means driving over an hour to access essential and sometimes urgent services. And if you’re travelling on public transit, which is non-existent in many of the municipalities in my riding, the trip could take as long as four hours each way.”
She asked Matthews if she would “commit to preserving existing health-care services in south Niagara.”
In response, Matthews said Niagara Health System “is moving forward.”
“It is implementing the necessary measures to improve patient care. We know there’s more to do, but I do think that we are absolutely on the right track when it comes to Niagara,” Matthews said.
Forster continued, telling Matthews that experts such as Niagara Health System Medical Staff Association South president Dr. Andrei Arvinte are concerned that if those services are removed from south Niagara hospitals, other services will follow.
Matthews said provincially appointed NHS supervisor Kevin Smith has listened to those concerns and developed “recommendations on how we can improve care in south Niagara.”
The provincial government has 24 sessional days to respond to Welland’s petition calling on the government to preserve hospital services. The petition, however, wasn’t presented until Feb. 28, and the services will have been moved by March 24.