Tony's letter to Tony Clement over ER crisis

NEWS RELEASE

TONY MARTIN, MP

************************ Martin hand-delivers health care crisis letter to Clement

"Emergency room crisis part of larger problem"

OTTAWA - (March 3) - Sault MP Tony Martin has delivered in the House of Commons a letter to Health Minister Tony Clement demanding federal leadership to solve Sault Ste. Marie's health care crisis, including more funding and community-based solutions.

"A comprehensive plan is what is required and I ask the government to take the leadership role Canadians expect," Martin wrote Clement who had blamed the Ontario government in Question Period last week.

"It's the responsibility of both governments to work on a better federal-provincial health care relationship," Martin said today. "While I read of reports of progress and optimism to avoid the emergency room crisis, the health care crisis has more to do than just with our doctors. I am thinking of the thousands of area residents without doctors and the failure of governments to deliver better home and long-term care that is compounding the hospital bed crisis."

Martin is backing the Algoma Public Health proposal to move to Sault College with a new nurse practitioner clinic.

The Ontario Hospital Association reported today 2,800 hospital beds - or 18 percent of all beds in the province - are occupied by patients who can't find home or long-term care.

On any given day, about 800 emergency room patients in Ontario, the equivalent of three medium-sized hospitals - wait in hallways for admission beds that are not available.

Here is a copy of Martin's letter to Clement:

***

The Honourable Tony Clement Minister of Health Room 278; Confederation Building House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

February 26, 2008

Dear Minister Clement,

Sault Ste. Marie faces a serious health care crisis exacerbated by the latest news that emergency room physicians will withdraw services as of April 1, 2008 citing doctor shortages and unsafe patient conditions.

This is but the latest chapter of a deeper crisis that has been building for some years now that sees the region of Sault Ste. Marie Algoma with a serious shortage of doctors, both family and specialist.

This is all now coming to a head.

The hospital will run a deficit of 12 million dollars this year.

You will recall we have exchanged correspondence already on innovative solutions to this health care crisis such as a community-based nurse practitioner clinic that alongside substantial investment in health care by the government can go a long way to address the problem.

With respect to nurse practitioners for the community, recently, the Algoma Public Health announced a plan to relocate its offices and services into one location at Sault College.

I support this initiative which will have a nurse practitioner component.

I urge you to support the APH proposal as part of a multi-prong approach to resolving this crisis that includes thousands of residents without a family doctor.

...

I ask you as the minister responsible for the Canada Health Act to immediately engage with the Ontario Minister of Health to resolve this crisis.

We need not only a short term and medium term fix but a long-term answer that recognizes the severe shortage of funds and health care professionals available to our community.

A comprehensive plan is what is required and I ask the government to take the leadership role Canadians expect.

Yours Sincerely,

Tony Martin, MP Sault Ste. Marie

cc: Jeff Holmes - Algoma Public Health Unit Ron Gagnon - CEO, Sault Area Hospital Dr. Ehsan Mohammadi - SAH Emergency Department

************************