The Kingston Health Coalition challenges the Government’s unethical use of the Sisters of Providence to justify a for-profit P3 hospital in Kingston.
On April 26, in the provincial legislature, in response to a question asking if the province will
“listen to the thousands more who want you to stop this wrong-headed P3 plan [for the new
Kingston hospital]?”, the Minster of Health, Deborah Mathews, said, “If it’s good enough for the Sisters of Providence, if the Sisters of Providence support this, then I am very proud to support it too.”
The problem is that the Sisters of Providence do not support the P3 proposal for the new hospital. The Sisters have steadfastly refused to be drawn into the debate. Their official position is to make no comment “what-so ever” on the process.
“The Minister of Health has placed the Sisters of Providence in a terrible position by threatening the future of the new hospital and then incorrectly using them. We abhor these tactics,” said Ross Sutherland, Chair of the Kingston Health Coalition. “The discussion on the new hospital should take place on facts and not misinformation. The government is relying on misinformation because the facts are that their P3-privatization will cost more, be less flexible and less accountable than a public hospital”.
“This is a democracy; we all should be able to speak our conscience and support our values free of intimidation. And, in Kingston, the public has overwhelmingly upheld the values of public non-profit health care based on compassion not private-profit-taking”.
“It is time for the government to listen to the residents of Kingston. They need to publicly fund our new hospital and ensure non-profit maintenance and management for the facility. The contract can still be changed without penalty. We will save tens of millions of dollars and enhance the democratic control and accountability of our new hospital”.
For more information contact:
Ross Sutherland,
613-532-7846,
613-374-5211,
elbe@web.ca
