QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to news that hospitals have been directed to cancel all scheduled surgeries and non-emergent activities starting Monday due to the large wave of COVID patients requiring hospitalization:
“The Premier’s delay to enact stricter measures and his refusal to implement key policies like paid sick days has put hospitals in the difficult position of having to stop elective surgeries.
As far back as February 11, Dr. Brown and the Science Table made it clear that if urgent action was not taken to slow the spread of variants, we would be in this position.
This situation was preventable. But instead, Premier Ford ignored the advice of his own experts who predicted this months ago.
And what did the government say when asked recently why they waited so long to act? That they wanted to make sure that the modelling was actually showing up in our hospitals.
Premier, you can’t wait until the house is engulfed in flames before calling 911.
Already, an estimated 250,000 surgeries have been delayed due to the pandemic.
I feel for the patients with cancer and heart conditions who will now be unable to receive potentially life-saving treatment.
They deserve better.”