For Immediate Release
February 24, 2004

Toronto–In one of over 30 media events held across the country today, the Ontario Health Coalition issued a warning about the corporations who are winning bids to privatize hospitals across the country.

Spokespeople for the OHC revealed that governments in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are actively planning over fifteen private hospitals. New Brunswick and Newfoundland have flirted with similar plans and may follow suit. In Ontario, there are three private hospitals in planning in Toronto, and others in Hamilton, Oakville, Grimsby, Brampton, Uxbridge, Markham-Stouffville, and Ottawa. The coalition fears all new hospitals will be privatized this way.

"The corporations see public health care as a potential source of huge profits," said Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition. "Carillion, one of the bidders, holds the Guinness Book of World Records title twice-over for longest wait on a stretcher for a hospital bed. Meanwhile, the company reports record-breaking profits from private hospital deals financed by taxpayers."

"In these hospitals for-profit corporations will take over key hospital services and run them for their own gain. On one hand, we see less beds and less staff, and on the other we see record profits and exorbitant executive salaries," added Karl Flecker of the Polaris Institute, "In P3 deals, citizens will end up paying much more for less service."

"It’s like sending in the fox to guard the chicken coop." concluded Sid Ryan, President of CUPE Ontario. "These P3 deals and the corporations that are pushing them are one of the most serious threats facing our health system today. We demand that our politicians resist the siren’s call of privatization or we will lose our public health system."

The coalitions released an exposé on Carillion, one of the key private companies that has won bids to lead private hospital projects in Canada, and a backgrounder on private P3 hospital plans. All are available from the Ontario Health Coalition website at www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca

For more information: Natalie Mehra 416-441-2502.