A new report presented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has highlighted significant concerns regarding hospitalcapacity in Ontario, with a particular focus on Cornwall. At a media conference held on September 17 at the Cornwall Public Library, Doug Allan, CUPE’s senior researcher, detailed the findings, emphasizing the critical shortfalls in hospital staffing and bed availability in the region.
“What we’re seeing here is a lack of planning, with unprecedented closures of emergency rooms and a 75% failure rate to meet targettimes for admission in ERs,” Allan stated. “This is driven by low bedcapacity, staff shortages, and high vacancy rates. The current plan is to make things significantly worse.”
The report reveals that Cornwall Community Hospital requires $10.8 million in additional annual funding and 35 new staff members to maintain adequate services, while five new hospital beds are needed annually. Across the broader region of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, 87 staff and 13 beds are required each year to meet increasing healthcare demands.
According to the CUPE presentation, by 2032, Ontario will need an additional 16,800 hospital beds to meet the increasing healthcaredemands of its aging population, a stark contrast to the provincialgovernment’s current projection of adding only 3,000 beds.
Allan emphasized the urgent need to prepare for the rising healthcare demands as baby boomers begin turning 80 in 2025, a milestoneexpected to significantly increase pressure on the system. “The babyboomer bump won’t last forever,” he explained. “But in the next 10 to15 years, healthcare demand will spike, and our system needs to be ready for this wave.”
In light of these challenges, Allan urged the government to develop a new, comprehensive healthcare plan, stating, “We need a new,robust plan to address these challenges now and in the future.”
