|
Newsletter
|
Donate
GUELPH POLITICAST #326 – Healthcare: A Pre-Election Podcast
Posted: June 3, 2022
(June 1, 2o22)
By: Adam A. Donaldson, Guelph Politicast
Affordability has kind of hijacked the priorities this election, but once it would have been possible to see healthcare being the number one issue of the 2022 campaign. From more funding for our overburdened hospitals, getting for-profit companies out of long-term care, and expanding coverage to mental, dental and pharma coverage, nothing throws issues of healthcare under a microscope like a global pandemic!
Since the start of the pandemic, the inadequacies of our current public healthcare system have been rubbed in our face. ERs and ICUs were pushed to the limit, critical procedures were delayed, waitlists and wait times increased in size, and, the most critical shortfall, long-term care homes became petri dishes for COVID exposure and among a population who were some of the most vulnerable to the virus.
This is where the Guelph & District Health Coalition, a branch of the Ontario Health Coalition, comes in, except no one was driving local healthcare advocacy efforts for some time. Barb Hogg and Brit Hancock decided to step up organizing public protests, virtual information sessions, and they formed a sort of welcoming committee for Minister of Long-Term Care Paul Calandra when he came to Guelph back in April. As we head into Election Day tomorrow, are they feeling confident that they’ve made an impact?
That’s one of the questions for Hogg and Hancock on this week’s edition of the podcast! They will talk about why they wanted to restart the local GDHC, and the difficulty in trying to cover three different ridings with three different sets of priorities. They also talk about their concerns about privatization in healthcare, and how people should be demanding better than just “Okay” from the government. And finally, they will discuss the future of healthcare policy, and what happens after June 2.
So let’s talk about fighting for more public healthcare on this week’s Guelph Politicast!
You can learn more about the Guelph & District Health Coalition on Facebook, and you can learn more about the group’s umbrella organization at the Ontario Health Coalition website. On Election Night, you can listen to live results starting at 8 pm on CFRU 93.3 fm or cfru.ca!
