Ontario Providing Additional Funding for Hospital Care in Orillia
SIMCOE NORTH — The Ontario government is taking further action to end hallway health care and address the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing investments in hospitals across the province for the third straight year. Today, Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North, announced that Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital would receive additional operating funding beginning in 2021/22:
- Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital (OSMH) will receive an additional $3,315,800 which represents an increase of 3.2% to funding
This investment builds on the increased investments announced by MPP Dunlop in 2019 and 2020.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our local hospital has gone above and beyond to provide exceptional care to patients and families in Simcoe North” said MPP Dunlop. “This new investment is just one way Ontario is supporting high-quality and timely access to health care both during the pandemic and in the future.”
Over the last three years, the Ontario government has made significant investments in Ontario’s hospitals as part of its plan to end hallway health care. This includes overall sector increases of 2% in 2019-20, 3% in 2020-2021 and most recently, 3.4% in 2021-22.
The 2021 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy, outlined a total of $1.8 billion in additional investments for hospitals in 2021-22. This includes an increase of $778 million in funding to meet current and future demands for services, and ensures all publicly funded hospitals will receive a minimum one per cent increase to help them keep pace with patient needs and to increase access to high-quality care for patients and families across Ontario.
“Ontario’s hospitals have been unwavering in their commitment to protect the health and wellbeing of Ontarians, and our government is committed to ensuring that they have the resources needed to continue responding to the pandemic and meet the ongoing needs of the communities they serve,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By increasing investments in hospitals provincewide, our government is helping to ensure that patients have access to the high-quality care they need, when and where they need it.”
The Ontario government remains committed to supporting hospitals so that they can continue to provide the care Ontarians need and deserve, today and in the future. Additional support for Ontario’s hospitals as part of Ontario’s Action Plan includes $760 million to help hospitals continue to respond to COVID‑19 and an additional $300 million to reduce surgical backlogs.
“Today’s announcement of base funding for the 2021-22 fiscal year recognizes ongoing healthcare needs of our community”, said Carmine Stumpo, President and CEO at Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital. “OSMH will continue to support the health system recovery with an increase in the number of surgical procedures we provide, addressing both the backlog of activity due to the pandemic and the continued growth of our community. We extend our sincere appreciation to Minister Dunlop and the Ontario Government for their support.”