Wynne and Hoskins need to move on stroke care

Dear Editor,

Celebrating the first year anniversary of Bill 9 being approved at Queens Park was a bitter/sweet day on Dec. 5, 2017 given that the Wynne Government has failed to implement this new healthcare law intended to help stroke patients of all ages and I emphasize, “all ages”.

Since January of this year I have been asking the Wynne Government for a simple status report on Bill 9 implementation, only to be stonewalled. I finally received a letter from the Health Ministry in late November basically saying that the Bill 9 does not change eligibility for stroke treatment. Bill 9 is all about changing eligibility for Post stroke treatment and physiotherapy.

We do not tell our 20-year-old cancer patients to wait until age 65 for treatment and we should not be telling our young adults to wait 45 years for much needed stroke treatment as is the case today.

The scariest part of this story is that most adults between 20 and 64 are not aware of how their personal health is at great risk if they were to experience a stroke because of age discriminatory healthcare policies in Ontario.

The best part of Dec. 5, 2017 was recalling how PC MPP Lorne Coe of Whitby-Oshawa took an interest in the stroke treatment problem in Ontario and decided to introduce and move Private Members Bill No. 9 thru the Legislative process at Queens Park last year. Unfortunately, it appears that Premier Wynne has decided to dig in her heels on this subject, again discriminating against the middle class of Ontario in my opinion.

Given the optics of a cover-up I challenge Health Minister Hoskins and Kathleen Wynne to hold an emergency press conference to explain to Ontarians how their government will implement this new Ontario healthcare law and when?

If Hoskins and Wynne have nothing to hide they will immediately hold this joint press conference before calling the 2018 Ontario Election.

Jim McEwen