PARAMEDICS FACE OFFLOAD DELAYS AND STAFFING SHORTAGES AT HOSPITALS

Libby  is joined by Mike Merriman, the paramedic and EMS Chair of CUPE Local 416 and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, Internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital.

Yet another warning about the crisis in our healthcare system: once again, it is about staffing. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is calling for 15,000 new hires this year alone just to keep emergency rooms and other units from closing. In total, CUPE said 46,000 more hospital staff must be hired to deal with a turnover rate that is almost double pre-pandemic levels.  Toronto Paramedic Services said they needed 500 new hires yesterday. When it comes to ambulance services, on top of staffing and offloading issues, some of the ubiquitous construction is yet another obstacle.

 

 OTTAWA PAYS OUT $191M IN BONUSES TO PUBLIC SERVANTS

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Kris Sims, Alberta director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Conservative MP Kelly McCauley, Member of Parliament for Edmonton West.Have you tried to get a passport? What’s your experience at the airport? What about a court date if you need one? OK, those are rhetorical questions – we know those are just a few of the areas where government services are not working. But the people running those departments and some of those working under them have collected a total of $191M in bonuses – performance bonuses – while performance targets are not being met – say 50% of the time.

CALLS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY IN RESPONSE TO DELAY IN EGLINTON LRT CONSTRUCTION

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Councillor Mike Colle, Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence and Maureen Sirois, Chair, Eglinton Way BIA.

Have you been up around Eglinton lately? Or maybe anytime in the last decade or 11 years? That’s how long the LRT has been under construction and to say that it is bad for business is an understatement. And we just learned about another delay. It was supposed to be finished in 2020 but the dates are pushed back annually. So the new date word is  in 2023 with no guarantee they won’t just delay yet again. Some are even calling for a public inquiry.