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Welland community fighting to stop Niagara Health cuts
People in Welland and neighbouring communities are fighting to stop the Niagara Health System from cutting back on some critical surgeries at their hospital.
The hospital in Welland is the latest to be facing cutbacks and many people aren’t happy about it. Under the Niagara Health plan, anyone needing emergency surgery at night or on the weekend in Welland could face an ambulance ride to another city.
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As of Feb. 27th, Niagara Health is planning to eliminate emergency surgeries in Welland outside regular working hours.
The hospital will still have an emergency department but there won’t be any emergency surgeries at night or on the weekend.
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“We’re hearing from doctors and nurses that this could mean avoidable deaths,” Welland MPP Jeff Burch says the ambulance drive, along with loading and unloading, could cost potentially-lifesaving time for someone in critical condition.
He says the area deserves equal health care, “everyone deserves to know that when they go to an emergency department regardless of what city, regardless of what hospital, they’re going to get the treatment they need and they’re not going to get shipped in an ambulance somewhere else and have their outcome endangered.”
Burch is calling on the provincial government to overrule Niagara Health and block the change. He says he has the support of four mayors in the region, like Port Colborne’s Bill Steele.
“That emergency department is very important to the citizens of Wainfleet and Port Colborne,” Steele says. He adds, “we want to see Welland maintained 24/7 emergency services with proper intensive care unit and proper operating room capacity for that facility.”
Niagara Health says its “immediate challenge is a global shortage of anesthesiologists.” Which is impacting their “ability to do surgical procedures at the Welland site.”
Niagara Health also says it had “only 57” after-hours emergency cases in Welland last year.
Health minister Sylvia Jones says she’s concerned about the Welland plan, and suggested to CHCH the province’s health administrators will work directly with the hospital.
“It’s always a concern to all of us when we hear that our local community hospital is not able to provide all departments available 24/7. Very much a concern. I certainly appreciate how that can be something that we need to focus on,” Jones said.
MPP Burch says there are thousands of signatures on a petition to stop the cutbacks and the campaign is building.
Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates is planning an emergency town hall meeting Thursday evening where people can express their concerns with the health care system.
