CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions demand action in demonstration outside Kingston General

By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

In a demonstration outside Kingston General Hospital, CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE) set up a lineup of hospital stretchers, symbolizing the 1,860 Ontario patients currently experiencing “hallway medicine” due to overcrowding and understaffing. 

According to research by OCHU-CUPE, Kingston Health Sciences is currently running at 93.7% capacity, well above the 85% recommended maximum bed occupancy level. 

Representatives with OCHU-CUPE, the Kingston Health Coalition, and supporters stood in the rain outside of KGH’s emergency room to deliver their message, urging the Province to take action.

“If we can’t have good health care in Ontario, Canada, where in the world can we?” said Joan Jardin, Co-chair of the Kingston Health Coalition in an interview with CFRC. “And I do not believe in the excuse of there is no money, because we’ve seen where money has been spent.”

The Ministry of Health did not respond to CFRC’s request for comment.

Listen to the full story here.