OHC Media Availability: Ontario Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission Report

TORONTO, April 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Despite reams of promises and emotional press conferences vowing change, the Ford government has made a formal policy choice to delay any meaningful increase in LTC staffing-- and thus care-- by years (see staffing plan released Dec. 17). Mr. Ford has not reinstituted annual surprise inspections. Not one single LTC home owner has been fined for negligence and failure to provide care. None have lost their licenses. Ontario's record of fatalities in LTC ranks among the very worst in the world. The Ontario Health Coalition sees this as a deplorable moral failing.

Yet as the Ontario Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission report has been delivered to the Ford government and families, residents, advocates and care workers' representatives wait to see it, the government still has not provided any information on when and how it will be released.

The Health Coalition is sickened at the continued callous disregard for those who have suffered so much, those who have worked so hard to advocate for them, those who have risked illness, permanent disability and death to care for them.

The Coalition demanded that the Ford government not play politics with the report's release, which is widely rumored to be planned for the end of the day today, Friday, to minimize media coverage and make it harder for advocates to respond. The government should be up front and transparent about the public release of the report. To play PR with this report after so many tens of thousands have suffered and almost 4,000 human beings were lost in long-term care in Ontario, would be morally indefensible, the Coalition warned.

Media Availability today and throughout the weekend:
The Ontario Health Coalition will have its spokespeople available today and throughout the weekend.

The Ontario Health Coalition testified before the Long-Term Care Commission in November. The Health Coalition has provided 2 written submissions to the Commission, an interim report in December and a final report in February. The Health Coalition issued a response to the interim recommendations and the second set of recommendations made by the Commission. The Ontario Health Coalition has held multiple large, virtual protests, press conferences & has conducted at least 250 media interviews on long-term care & the pandemic in the last year.

The Ontario Health Coalition represents more than half-a-million Ontarians including LTC residents, families, family councils, seniors' organizations, health care workers and professionals, non-profit health service organizations, ethno-cultural organizations and concerned citizens dedicated to protecting and improving health care for all.

For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition, at 416-230-6402.