Local hospitals in the Quinte region are getting a much needed booster shot of cash from the province.
MPP Todd Smith announced in a press conference on Friday that both Belleville General Hospital and Trenton Memorial Hospital would benefit from an additional $422,573 through the provincial government.
The additional funds are being added to the hospital’s payment from the Hospital On Call Coverage program for 2023/2024. With the addition, the two hospitals can expect to receive a maximum payment from the program this year of $3,989,767.
The funds are intended to pay for additional on-call physicians, who can be brought in to help deal with unexpected surges of patients that could otherwise jam the system. The additional on-call coverage is expected to make it easier to see a doctor after traditional hours.
MPP Todd Smith said this was part of the process to decrease wait times in Ontario’s hospitals.
“We know we need to assist our hospitals. The hard working health care workers are now facing added pressures to care for patients needs in our community,” said Smith. “Often that means having backup, more doctors to handle overflow and our emergency rooms, specialists to answer questions that arise at any hour. It’s all part of improving patient experience and decreasing wait times.”
Doctor Colin MacPherson, chief of staff at Quinte Health, appreciated the investment.
“With communities and hospitals across Ontario experiencing critical shortages of physicians, medical staff recruitment and retention has become very competitive,” said MacPherson. “The government investment announced by MPP Smith today will help support and sustain these crucial efforts.”
The increased funding for doctors comes alongside development plans for Ontario to add another 3000 hospital beds province-wide over the next 10 years.
