Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
As individuals we are entitled to local, accessible healthcare and hospital services, where we live and in a timely manner. By uniting our voices, we can demonstrate the urgent need for action, and we compel relevant authorities to prioritize and maintain the Urgent Care Centre in Fort Erie, including in patient beds and diagnostic services. We, the undersigned residents of fort Erie and surrounding areas are calling upon our elected representatives and healthcare authorities at Niagara Health to urgently address the critical need for accessible urgent and emergency care services in our community. We in Fort Erie deserve the same access to 24/7 care as other centers. As concerned citizens, we are experiencing challenges in accessing essential medical care due to long wait times for diagnostic testing, emergency department wait times, closures of overnight hours in our urgent care and off load delay of EMS patients.
We believe that access to local urgent, emergency and primary healthcare is a fundamental right for every individual. Without local access, members of our community are forced to travel long distances, resulting in increased financial strain and often endure extended wait times, or even forgo necessary medical attention altogether. In Fort Erie there is no local affordable transportation, and the cost is prohibitive to many. This poses a significant barrier to maintaining our health and well-being, especially for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, low-income families and individuals with chronic illnesses.
We ask that Douglas Memorial be reinstated and publicly funded as a community based hospital, with 24/7 access to urgent and emergent care, diagnostic services, and any current services provided be fully maintained immediately.
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