Michael Hurley admits Canada's potential tariff battle with the United States may have distracted many Ontarians.
But, Hurley, president of CUPE's Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, wants to make sure the message about the healthcare system in places like the North Bay Regional Health Centre gets recognized as the provincial election approaches.
"The fact that 2.5 million people in this province don't have a family doctor, the fact that hospitals like this one have a total of 250,000 people waiting for surgeries, 2,000 people on any given day on stretchers because there aren't enough beds up from 850 when the provincial government promised in the last election to end hallway medicine, and we have 50,000 people waiting for long term care beds," stated Hurley.
CUPE set up a row of stretchers in front of the North Bay Regional Health Centre entrance on College Drive to symbolize the situation.
Hurley claims the province is spending more on healthcare but it isn't solving the problem.
"Nominally it's true, but this hospital is actually getting less this year than the rate of inflation, and as a result, it is actually cutting back, " explained Hurley.
"The fact is that healthcare funding has not kept pace with population growth, with aging, and as a result, it's straining everywhere. It's straining in terms of long-term care home care and in terms of acute care. So we really hope that we can get these issues discussed in this election."
The union is raising concerns about access to care due to growing deficits across the hospital sector. Based on the latest data, hospitals in Ontario faced a cumulative shortfall of $800 million in the first half of 2024-25. At North Bay General Hospital, the shortfall was $10.2 million.
“The crisis in healthcare affects almost every family,” he stated.
“The entire health care sector is staggering. There is no end to the staffing shortages; ER closures, waits for surgeries or long-term care beds. for a family doctor or for appropriate home care services. We hope to help ensure that this election focuses on solutions to this crisis.”
In the first half of 2024-25, North Bay General Hospital operated at 88.3 per cent capacity, well above the 85 per cent recommended maximum bed occupancy level.
According to an analysis by OCHU-CUPE, North Bay General must add 16 beds to achieve safe occupancy levels.
Hurley says CUPE has a number of recommendations for the next party in power including putting an end to private sector delivery of acute, long-term care and community health services along with addressing the staffing crisis by improving compensation and working conditions and providing incentives such as free tuition to students in nursing and PSW programs.