The protests continue as Kincardine Hospital gets ready to end its current physiotherapy services in favour of a private for-profit operation.
This morning a protest rally will be held in front of the hospital on Queen Street.
On Soundingboard yesterday one of the co-organizers Isabel Jones says they’re hoping for a good turnout of concerned citizens who are against the move.
By mid-August a private firm will be handling physiotherapy services at the hospital meaning out-patient services will cost the client.
The hospital will continue to foot the bill for in-patient clients.
If one can’t afford the private service they will have to travel to Walkerton or Chesley to get service covered by OHIP.
Jones says they want to keep the publicly funded physio services in Kincardine.
She says of the four hospitals under the South Bruce Grey Health Centre umbrella, Kincardine has the largest catchment area with patients as far away as Ripley and Amberly.
Jones says the rally gets underway at 8:30 this morning at the bottom of the hospital hill where they will be handing out information and will also have a petition to be signed.
Jones says she hopes those attending will then go out and talk to their MPP or Kincardine council members or anyone who will listen.
She says they hope to be able to have this change at the hospital rescinded.
Jones says although it’s a tall order, that’s exactly what was done in the Sarnia/Lambton area where a hospital was planning to bring in a for-profit firm to handle physiotherapy services.
Protests and outrage had the system changed back to the publicly funded system.
