Harris Tory legacy on Emergency Rooms: Closed

    TORONTO, Oct. 2 /CNW/ - It takes a lot of gall for the Harris Tory party
to talk about Emergency Rooms in Ontario. After all, between 1993 and 2000,
twenty hospital Emergency Rooms were closed.
    The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Studies (ICES) reported: "This
study suggests (a number) reasons why overcrowding may be worsening... First,
Emergency Department closures have led to a 10% increase in visits at the
remaining centres..."
    ICES points out that almost 10% of Emergency Rooms were closed between
1993 and 2000:-   Sault Area Hospital - Plummer site - Sault Ste. Marie - Closed
    -   Porcupine General Hospital - South Porcupine - Closed
    -   Sudbury Regional Hospital, Memorial Site - Sudbury - Closed
    -   Pembroke Civic Hospital - Pembroke - Closed
    -   Peterborough Regional Health Centre - Rogers St. Site - Peterborough
        - Closed
    -   Northumberland Health Care, Port Hope Site - Port Hope - Closed
    -   Lakeridge Health Corporation, Whitby Site - Whitby - Closed
    -   Chatham Kent Health Alliance, St. Joseph's - Chatham - Closed
    -   Lambton Hospitals Group, St. Joseph's Health Centre of Sarnia -
        Sarnia - Closed
    -   Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital - Grace Site - Windsor - Closed
    -   Windsor Regional Hospital, Western Campus - Windsor - Closed
    -   Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, Chedoke Hospital Campus -
        Hamilton - Closed
    -   North Bay General, McLaren Site - North Bay - Closed
    -   Niagara-On-The-Lake General Hospital - Niagara-On-The-Lake - Closed
    -   St.Joseph's General Hospital - Thunder Bay - Closed
    -   St.Vincent De Paul Hospital - Brockville - Closed
    -   Penetanguishene General Hospital - Penetanguishine - Closed
    -   Doctors Hospital - Toronto - Closed
    -   Humber River Regional Hospital, Keele Site - Toronto - Closed
    -   Dufferin Caledon Health Care Corporation, Shelburne Site - Shelburne
        - ClosedOntario Liberals are the only party committed to measuring and reducing
Emergency Room wait times. And it won't be a free vote, John.

For further information: Ben Chin, [phone] ext. 412,
[e-mail]