Quinte area public health officials are concerned about cuts being made to provincial funding of public health services, beginning this year.
The Progressive Conservative government is set to cut 35 health units to ten.
There will no longer be any programs 100% funded by the province.
The Ministry of Health is quoted as saying it is slowly shifting the cost-sharing funding model over the next three years.
Chair of Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Mayor of Tweed Jo-Anne Albert tells Quinte News “We’re in shock, the budget is already set. “
Albert continued, “It has been 75%, next year we are 70-30 percent. The third year, if you are a municipality of a million we will be 60%-40% and if we’re under a million, whatever these 10 new regions are, it’s 70-30 percent.”
She says public health services are very important in the community, not only for immunization and water testing.
Albert indicated the provincial Minister of Health did not take part in a conference call late last week to make this announcement to the 35 health units, but “the Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Williams made the call and read from a prepared statement.”
They were told there will be 10 regions and only Toronto will stay as it is.
She added, “Staff are going to be upset. Where are these savings going to be? They said they would save over $200 million a year. Are they going to be in programs? We just don’t know.”
The public health unit provides school immunization programs, inspects restaurants, pools and beaches, along with other heath-related programs.
Albert says more information on the government’s changes is expected to be available next week.
