“Health goes back to doctor recruitment, the money that we are spending on that. Since the program has been implemented, we’ve put in about $4 million. Again, doctors are provincial issues and everybody’s short all over Ontario so it’s kind of a prod to say, how are we going to solve this?”
He says they will also discuss the issue of homelessness.
In addition, the Belleville delegation will speak with Ministry of Transportation officials about the Belleville East Arterial Road or BEAR.
Ellis says the BEAR is still on the table but is dependent on the widening of Highway 401 through the area.
“I know we sold some industrial land last month and the ministry took the frontage of the 401 land off our property for the widening of the 401. So it’s been in the works for many years and now it’s supposed to be in the design stage so that’s what we want to check out.”
“Last year we spoke to the Ministry of Health about our nurse practitioners clinic and shortly after, we were approved for, I believe, 2.5 nurse practitioners. One we announced at council last month and they should be taking about 800 patients.”
He says while that will alleviate some of the pressure, about 10,000 Belleville residents are still without primary health care.
