City Council demands more long-term care beds

Sault Ste. Marie City Council is demanding 25 additional long-term care beds from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

After hearing a presentation last night by Dr. Tim Best, president of the Algoma Academy of Medicine, Council agreed to ask for immediate approval of the additional beds on an interim basis.

"Many patients are either being turned away to other centres or are having their treatments unduly delayed because the lack of acute-care beds in the Sault Area Hospital," said Ward 6 Councillor Peter Vaudry and his Ward 3 counterpart Bryan Hayes in a resolution passed by Council.

Acute-care beds here are being occupied by long-term care patients who would be more properly cared for in other institutions, the resolution said.

"The latest request to the province resulted in a reduction in the number of long-term care beds as opposed to the increase that is critically required."

Dr. Best said last night that the bed shortage is adversely affecting the Sault's physician-recruitment efforts.