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Province Pledges Funds to Assist Hospitals

Monday, 22 March 2021 14:00

By Linda Morgan

The Ontario government is committing $1.2 billion to help public hospitals in the province recover from pandemic-related financial issues.

The province will give $696.6 million to qualifying hospitals in an effort to help them maintain financial stability. 

Premier Doug Ford says the province needs to step up to assist hospitals as they provide frontline support during the pandemic. 

"Hospitals have been at the centre of the pandemic from day one providing excellent care for our sick and vulnerable, and responding to the various outbreaks without hesitation. Clearly, this additional care comes at a cost, so as a government we must step up and support them. We need to ensure that our hospitals remain viable and are there for people long after COVID-19 has been beaten." 

This money will primarily be given to small, medium, specialty and rehabilitation hospitals with a large fiscal strain caused by unique circumstances and historical funding challenges. 

Many hospitals are feeling financial pressures during the pandemic, not only due to direct costs, but also through the loss of other forms of revenue including reduced retail services and co-payments for private rooms. 

In order to address challenges brought on by reduced revenues, the province is devoting $572.3 million in order to provide reimbursements for qualifying portions of these losses. 

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott says it's vital to provide such support to hospitals right now. 

"Ontario's hospitals have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and our government is using every tool at our disposal to support them during these unprecedented times. This funding will ensure Ontario's hospitals can continue to provide high-quality care to all Ontarians as we work together to stop the spread of this virus."

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