Mary Rita Holland – Kingston and The Islands – NDP

1. We are appalled by poor performance of our healthcare system that has been neglected
by consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments. People of Ontario should not
suffer from pain and long queues for life-saving surgeries. An ONDP government will
invest in our healthcare to make sure that people who require a surgery will get it on
time. Ontario needs more doctors and nurses to tackle the unprecedented waiting times
for surgeries and the ONDP will do just that. The Ontario New Democrat government will
rebuild Ontario cancer care for the better. We’ll tackle the backlog head-on, improve care
in and out of hospital, improve screening with a special focus on hard-to-reach
communities, and deliver care closer to home. We will expand operating room hours
over the evenings and weekends to increase hospital capacity, engage in a health care
worker hiring blitz, and create a centralized surgical referral system. We’ll make sure this
gets done without privatizing our healthcare system.
2. We commit to provide cancer treatment closer to home. We’ll ensure communities have
access to comprehensive cancer treatment near where they live, so no one has to travel
a long way to get essential care such as radiation treatment. Our plan to improve cancer
care includes a new Cancer Centre in Brampton and improved capacity for diagnostic
imaging across the province. ONDP will make take-home cancer drugs free regardless
of your insurance and where you receive care. Our pharmacare plan will cover the full
cost of take-home cancer drugs, ensuring no one pays out of pocket for this critical
medication. We will properly fund public health education and prevention programs
including screenings and tests to increase our resilience against cancer. We will ensure
that future pandemic planning incorporates a plan to sustain cancer screening,
diagnosis, and treatment through any public health emergency.
3. It is vital for Ontario to have a healthcare system that focuses of preventing severe
illnesses. ONDP government will support self-referral of women over 40 for
mammograms. This will not only make cancer care more equitable but also make
resources of our public healthcare network better utilized by reducing the number of
severe breast cancer cases.