Arran-Elderslie Mayor Steve Hammell and CAO Emily Dance attended the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, or AMO, conference last week, and advocated for local healthcare.
Specifically, Hammell and Dance met with Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones to discuss the future of the Chesley Hospital, and find solutions for an ongoing emergency department closure crisis happening around Ontario.
"We're very pleased with the dialogue back-and-forth with the minister, and she does understand our ask, and our ask is that our emergency department does get back to 24/7. An Intermediate step would be just to have it open on weekends," Hammell said.
While he came away happy with the discussions, Hammell also laid out the seriousness of ED closures in rural communities.
"We very plainly stated that to have it open only from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. is just not enough for our community and we're constantly motivated by community members who keep advocating, and that's what we're gonna continue to do," added Hammell.
Hammell says there aren't any immediate aids coming, but he was happy to hear about efforts to get more nurses trained and into hospitals.
"And we've seen that locally here. We've seen a 4-year nursing program come to Georgian College in Owen Sound and we've gotten positive feedback from South Bruce Grey Health Centre in regards to new hires and new hires in our community. But new hires, they have to be trained, especially in a small hospital," Hammell pointed out.
He also thanked all the dedicated community members who are fighting for the hospital, too, and urged them to continue to speak up.
Mayor Hammell extended special thanks to Bruce County Warden Luke Charbonneau for his continued support of Arran-Elderslie’s healthcare advocacy efforts, and to MPP Paul Vickers for his ongoing engagement and representation at Queen’s Park.