The Ontario Health Coalition is hosting a Town Hall Meeting at the Centre Culturel Les Compagnons, 327 Dudley Avenue Tuesday night to continue its fight to keep 29 residential addiction treatment beds, which are slated to be cut this spring.
"The Health Coalition has repeatedly raised the issue that there is nowhere for people to go, all existing publicly-funded programs have waitlists in North Bay and this fact holds true for programs even hours away in other communities," the Ontario Health Coalition release stated.
"In response, the Ontario Health Coalition, local health care workers and patients, among others have been mobilizing to ask MPP Vic Fedeli and the Ford government to take action to stop the closure of these beds."
At the Town Hall meeting, tomorrow evening, Health Coalition officials will be discussing these slated hospital bed closures, the potential impact on the community, and we will forge a plan with the community to save this vital program.
See related: Small rally focuses on saving addiction treatment beds
A new withdrawal management program has been implemented but the Ontario Health Coalition is sceptical that it can replace the 29 addiction treatment program beds.
"It has gaps in terms of the community supports and withdrawal management and it has gaps at the very acute end in terms of the more acute intensive hospital care - the more complex hospital care," said Natalie Mehra, Executive Director, Ontario Health Coalition.
The event will take place Tuesday night from 7 to 9 p.m.
