The province of Ontario is providing Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg with an additional $5.6 million in funding for the upcoming fiscal year.
Premier Doug Ford and deputy premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott were in Cobourg on Thursday to announce the funding alongside Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini.
In total, the Cobourg hospital will receive $5,619,800 in additional funding for the fiscal year 2020-21 to “meet current and future demands for regular services.” The amount is an approximately 10.8 per cent increase in funding, the province said.
Ford also announced that nearby Campbellford Memorial Hospital in Trent Hills will receive close to $307,000 in additional funding. That’s a two per cent increase in funding for 2020-21.
“Our government believes that no matter where you live in Ontario, you and your family deserve access to quality care close to home,” Ford stated in a release. “Today’s investment in Northumberland Hills Hospital and Campbellford Memorial Hospital will not only ensure our front-line heroes can respond to the threat of COVID-19 but better serve patients living in Cobourg, Port Hope and the surrounding communities.”
Elliott echoed that sentiment and said the funding shows the government is working with its hospital partners to “fix the long-standing issues” that have put funding for small- and medium-sized hospitals at a disadvantage.
“That’s why we’ve annualized last year’s historic investment of $68 million for small- and medium-sized hospitals to provide continued financial relief to hospitals in Ontario and ensure patients can access the care they need no matter where they live,” Elliott said.
Piccini says the investments send a clear message the province is committed to “fixing” funding inequities for smaller hospitals.
“These unprecedented times have highlighted the importance of having a strong health-care system, and I will continue to work alongside Campbellford Memorial Hospital and Northumberland Hills Hospital towards the goal of strengthening health care in our riding. I want to thank the hardworking teams at both hospitals for being instrumental in keeping our residents safe during the COVID pandemic,” Piccini said.
Northumberland Hills Hospital president and CEO Linda Davis says the funding is a “historic” moment for the hospital and community. She said a former “flawed” funding program put medium-sized hospitals like Cobourg’s at a disadvantage.
“That flaw has now been definitively corrected,” she said. “The investment announced today marks a sea of change for Northumberland Hills Hospital and the community we serve as we now have the financial tools necessary to plan sustainably for the future.”
Campbellford Memorial Hospital president and CEO Varouj Eskedjian said the funding increase, along with significant announcements over the past couple of years, is “greatly appreciated.”
“This support has helped address our historic and current facility and financial pressures and enables the hospital to continue to provide the highest level of quality services to the residents of Trent Hills and surrounding rural communities,” he said.
More to come.
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