Dear Premier Ford,
Seeing as how you have asked provinical health officials for a plan to expand testing province-wide by next week, have you stopped to remember a few things?
- It is your plan to cut public health units from 35 to10 throughout the province
- It is your plan to cut 27 per cent (approx $200 million) of provincial funding for public health
- For the past decade the province has not seen fit to replace many retired public health care workers
As you make demands of public health officials stop and ask yourself given the proposed cuts to health care and the choice to not replace experienced staff as they retire. How in the world is this province going to successfully deal with this pandemic?
The current staff are spread woefully thin as it is, not to mention you conveniently forgot their efforts when you offered front line workers a $4 an hour pay increase.
Many long time public health staff who have worked tirelessly to protect the health and saftety of our community are looking for an exit strategy.
They are also wondering how they will be able to deal with the demands of this pandemic without putting their own physical and mental health at risk!
Wake up Premier Ford! Do the right thing and support public health properly before making demands.
Your health, my health, our families and neighbours health need it desperately.
Kerry Stevens,
Thunder Bay
