TORONTO – Public health advocates say the governing Liberals are allowing private clinics to flourish in Ontario at the expense of community hospitals.
The Ontario Health Coalition says the government is planning to bring in new regulations to usher in private specialty clinics and shut down some services in hospitals.
The New Democrats say it will lead to poorer access to health care for patients, especially those in rural and low-income areas.
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Health Minister Deb Matthews says moving procedures out of hospital will actually be more convenient for patients and may reduce health-care costs.
She insists it’s not privatization, saying the government is committed to a non-profit model.
But critics point to an auditor general’s report last year saying that most of the clinics are operated by for-profit companies.
There are about 825 independent health facilities in Ontario, he said in his annual report. The Ministry of Health paid about $408 million in 2010-11 in so-called “facility fees” for overhead costs such as rent, staff, supplies and equipment.
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