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KINGSTON, Ont. Front-line health care workers rallied today for full funding for KGH as they condemned the reprisal firing of Joe De Mora.
Let’s be clear. The province fired Mr. De Mora because he refused to do its dirty work by cutting the $17 million from Kingston General’s budget that the South East Local Health Integration Network demanded, said Louis Rodrigues, President of CUPE 1974, representing KGH’s support service workers.
Mr. de Mora was dismissed earlier this week by a LHIN-mandated team of inspectors. Rodrigues noted that the LHIN practice of punishing hospitals for refusing to cut services is becoming way too common.
LHINs are putting more and more hospitals under supervision because hospitals are refusing to cut services, Rodrigues said. Why won’t the province get the message that communities are rejecting the LHIN’s demand to cut? Is our new minister of health and long-term care, David Caplan, listening to communities?
Rodrigues called on MPP John Gerretsen to finally intervene on behalf of his community to protect the Kingston General.
We need Mr. Gerretsen to carry our message back to Minister Caplan: give our hospital the funding it needs to maintain excellent quality care for our community, Rodrigues said. Give Kingston General funding, not reprisals.
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For more information, contact:
Louis Rodrigues, President, CUPE 1974: 613-531-1319 (C)
David Robbins, CUPE Communications: 613-878-1431 (C)
