The province has announced London-area hospitals will receive close to $18-million to help cover COVID-19-related expenses.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton said the investment from the Ontario government will reimburse hospitals for increased costs of caring for COVID patients and lost revenue during the pandemic.
“Our hospitals are the foundation of the communities they serve, providing critical life-saving services to those who need it most,” said McNaughton. “Our government will continue to make historic investments in healthcare, so everyone has access to timely, quality care that is close to home.”
Hospitals in London, Newbury, and Strathroy will receive a total of $17,949,809 of a $27-million announcement supporting a total of eight southwestern Ontario hospitals.
London Health Sciences Centre: $14,902,189
St. Joseph’s Health Care London: $2,463,329
Four Counties Health Services: $112,948
Strathroy Middlesex General:$471,343
Funding will be used to provide stability to hospitals, so they can continue to provide high-quality patient care, according to provincial officials.
LHSC President and CEO Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor said the funding will allow health care teams to better meet the needs o the community.
“These last two years have been a time of challenge and sacrifice, for healthcare workers and our community. COVID-19 has put additional strain on our daily operations, including redeploying our staff to high need areas, adopting virtual care, and expanding our business to help with vaccination and assessment,” said Schleifer-Taylor. “We’re appreciative of the government’s recognition of this fact, as represented by this investment.”
Hospitals in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent were also included in the announcement.
