The Canadian Union of Public Employees is calling on the provincial government to adequately fund hospitals, otherwise overcrowding and hallway medicine will continue.
At a news conference on Thursday, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (COCHU) said the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) needs $32 million and 332 additional staff to properly operate its two hospitals, adding CKHA has an $18 million deficit.
It also noted that CKHA has a 96 per cent bed occupancy, which results in staff burnout and reduced patient care.
CUPE researcher Doug Allan said more provincial funding is required just to maintain current hospital services and additional hospital capacity is desperately needed to address the aging population and lengthy wait times for surgeries and other procedures.
"We have to have a government that recommits itself to building our hospital capacity. That means bringing our staffing levels up to the levels that we see in the rest of Canada. Right now, we're far, far short," said Allan.
Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, said hospital staff are feeling a high degree of distress and anxiety because they're fighting a losing battle every day and are ultimately leaving the profession.
"No matter how hard you work, you can't keep this system together on the strength of your sacrifice. Nothing you do over and above will make it work. There just aren't enough staff," Hurley noted.
Hurley noted the provincial government is currently increasing hospital funding by 3.3 per cent to reflect inflation, but 6.5 per cent is needed. COCHU said $5 billion is required to address the crisis Ontario hospitals are currently facing.
Allan doesn't blame the hospitals for being in a deficit, adding that they are "incredibly efficient" working with what they have. He said hospital costs are increasing for drugs, outsourced services, and miscellaneous expenses, while the percentage of the overall budget spent on salaries has dropped over the years.
COCHU also believes the healthcare system needs to get back to a more publicly funded system because privatizing hospital services is costly and leads to longer wait times.
