Toronto: An open letter to the province from ten former health ministers
An open letter from ten former health ministers, including Bill Davis one of the Premier Tory team, where they invited the province to reverse the cuts on public health. The letter was sent to the current Minister of Health Christine Elliott on Thursday while the PC government has continued to criticize for its decision to reduce its share of funding for public health agencies. The changes would see the province shift from funding 75 or 100 percent of Toronto’s Public Health programming to 60 percent one hundred, retroactive to 1 April. It would therefore reduce its budget share to 50 percent by April 2021. Elsewhere in Ontario, the province will reduce its contribution to public health agencies that serve less than one million people at 70% and 60% for those agencies of public health that serve more than one million people, Toronto excluded. The open letter warns that the cuts “put at risk the prosperity of our communities and of the entire province” and “cannot go ahead”. they make no economic sense “, as public health agencies” help Ontario people stay healthy so they don’t need to go to the doctor or hospital “.” Traditionally health ministers have refrained from commenting on the policies of their successor. Health was seen as a non-partisan issue, something we all support. This attack on public health prompted us to break our silence, “says the letter ta. “We implore you, Minister Elliott, to stop these drastic cuts and to find a way forward that does not risk our public health services.” The cuts will cost Toronto public health $ 65 million in 2019 City Manager Chris Murray said that the change in funding formula announced by the province will leave Toronto Public Health with a deficit of $ 65 million in its budget for 2019 and a deficit of $ 86 million in 2020. Speaking with journalists at a press conference at Queen’s Park, l Former Liberal Health Minister Helena Jaczek said that “whenever there was a reduction in public health in the past there have been tragedies”. Jaczek, who served as health minister under former prime minister Kathleen Wynne said that knowledge is why she and nine other former health ministers have taken an “unprecedented” step to openly call on the PC government to change course. “Il my political involvement was linked to Walkerton, where the day’s government sought to cut down what they called bureaucracy, but they had demolished the integral role of public health for water security. This was a measure of savings that they produced and led to tragedy, “he said of the 2000 water crisis that killed seven people and thousands of people.” So for me (public health) is a absolutely vital pivotal in this province’s health system for the inhabitants of Ontario “. Public health agencies, like Toronto’s public health, provide a long list of programs, including disease prevention, vaccination monitoring and school nutrition. At Thursday’s press conference, city chairman Joe Cressy said that Ontario was already the only province that did not collect the entire public health bill, saying further cuts to the Public health funding has united alders with the opposition. “Although there may be 10 ministers who signed this letter, I can tell you that there are others who oppose it. or even to these cuts, but they are in positions where they are unable to publicly sign the letters, “he said. Premier Doug Ford said that” there is something wrong with the administration of the municipality “if they fail to find enough savings in a “bloated bureaucracy” to compensate for the costs. The open letter, however, points out that cuts in funding for public health could have real consequences. “We just have to look at the SARS epidemic to realize the devastating impact of failed investment in public health, “he warns. The open letter was signed by the former health ministers of the Tory, Liberal and NDP governments. Dennis R. Timbrell, who was health minister from 1977 to 1982 under Premier Bill Davis, he was the only tory to sign the letter.
