QUEEN’S PARK- In Question Period today, NDP MPP Sandy Shaw (Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas) called on the provincial government to take urgent action on the growing waiting list of 12,000 pediatric surgeries in Ontario, including 2,100 at McMaster Children’s Hospital.
“Imagine being a parent watching your child live with pain, and knowing that if they miss important surgeries, it can have life altering consequences,” said Shaw. “This government likes to brag about their investment in hospital beds, but their policies have left hospitals short staffed and underfunded. Beds don’t take care of patients – our incredible health care professionals do.”
This weekend, the president of McMaster Children’s Hospital raised concerns over the increasing number of children on the wait list for surgery at the hospital. McMaster Children’s Hospital has some of the worst wait times in the province for pediatric surgery. They have raised the alarm repeatedly over the past year.
“The President of McMaster Children’s Hospital is telling us that 1,400 children have already missed the window for surgery, and now risk life-long consequences,” said Shaw. “This is completely unacceptable. This government is refusing to take meaningful action, but the Ontario NDP will continue to hold them to account.”
Watch the recording of question period here: https://youtu.be/b2YdOwghhVA