Dear Editor:
An open letter to Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.
I am very concerned with our crashing health care system. I have paid thousands of dollars in taxes to Ontario in my lifetime. Now in my advancing years when I need health care it is crashing.
Doug Ford’s unfair 1% cap on salary increases chased nurses from the system. During the COVID-19 pandemic nurses have gone above and beyond their call of duty and still Ford did nothing about improving their compensation, working conditions and staffing levels. Excessive overtime is burning them out. Now they are leaving the system in record numbers.
Until recently there had not been a word since the election about the crisis in the system from the Conservative government. It is too little too late with a promise of “fast tracking” nursing staff recruitment.
I have emailed you a number of times but only got the polite “thank you for your comment” type response. Today my specialist moved my consultation appointment a third time. Our county hospitals are obviously experiencing stress in terms of staffing, like so many others in the province.
I am wondering what have you done to help improve the situation? I have not seen you speaking about it in public. I have heard nothing from the premier. What kind of government did we just elect?
Ted, if you truly care about the Ontario’s health care system then please write about it, post an action plan with specific deliverables, target completion dates, and give Ontario citizens some hope for their health care future. You owe it to your constituents. I am confident that the Wellington Advertiser will publish it.
Bill Mathison,
Belwood