Stevens sounds alarm over constituent’s cancelled cancer surgery

MPP says Ford’s privatization push will mean longer waits

QUEEN’S PARK — Jennie Stevens, NDP MPP for St. Catharines, is sounding the alarm over health care delays after her constituent saw her surgery to remove suspected ovarian cancer cancelled.

The constituent, who asked to remain anonymous, waited three hours at Juravinski Hospital for the scheduled procedure. The surgery was cancelled at the last minute because there was not a single bed available for her post-procedure. Amid Ontario’s health care staffing crisis, it’s often the case that when beds aren’t available, it’s because of a lack of workers to staff them.

“In my constituent’s words, having her scheduled surgery to remove suspected ovarian cancer at the last minute is a ‘health care horror story’,” said Stevens. “Can you imagine the anxiety and the sleepless nights she endured leading up to her scheduled surgery? Now she has to wait even longer, worried sick about her suspected cancer diagnosis.”

According to the constituent’s surgeon, she wasn’t the only person to be left waiting for a surgery in recent days. Many other patients apparently had their procedures cancelled at the last minute due to lack of beds the week before.

Stevens said the government’s push for private clinics will make the crisis in Ontario’s hospitals worse instead of better.

“Doug Ford’s scheme to expand the use of for-profit private clinics will suck resources from a public health care that is already short thousands of nurses and support workers,” said Stevens. “Women like my constituent, women who have ovarian cancer — who need their surgery in a hospital — will wait longer, and live in fear for longer.

“I’m urging the government to invest what is needed to clear the surgical backlog and fix our public health care system by taking steps like recruiting, hiring, training and retaining nurses.”