Niagara Falls MPP Calling for Military Assistance in Niagara

Wayne Gates responding to decision by Niagara Health to close Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre effective tomorrow night

Gates is proposing drastic measures in order to keep the Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre open.

On his Facebook page, Gates writes he will be asking the province to request the military deploy its medical support forces to Fort Erie and Niagara to make sure no resident goes without services.

Gates says "Let me be as clear as possible, our healthcare staff have performed heroically, they are working above and beyond what we ever could've asked for - they simply need more support. This is a measure of last resort from Niagara Health who continues to do everything in their power to save lives during this pandemic. The president and staff of Niagara Health are doing everything they can and we remain grateful to them. In this instance, we are calling on the Province to address the crisis they forced our local healthcare staff into. This could've been avoided with pro-active measures."

The NDP MPP adding "Ford has failed the people of Fort Erie and the people of Niagara. Ford knew the rise in infections was coming – his own public health officials and experts told him so. We have been demanding that Ford take pro-active measures in early December, to make boosters more available, to provide rapid test kits to residents, to provide supports to healthcare workers. Now we are seeing the costs of his failure of leadership. After two years of dealing with this pandemic, we’re still facing the same issues as the first wave – that’s because Ford refuses to make the investments in health care or take real action until it is too late."

The Ontario NDP has also issued the following release:

NDP MPP Wayne Gates, who represents the communities of Fort Erie and Niagara Falls, responded to news that Niagara Health is temporarily closing its urgent care centre in Fort Erie to redeploy staff to the Niagara Falls General Hospital due rapidly rising COVID-19 infections amongst staff. Gates is urging the Doug Ford to acknowledge his failure and request support from the Canadian Armed Forces for the region’s embattled health care system.
 
“Ford knew the rise in infections was coming – his own public health officials and experts told him so. The warning bells could not have been louder and now his inaction means the worst has happened in Fort Erie. New Democrats had been demanding that Ford take proactive measures in early December, to make boosters more available, to provide rapid test kits to residents, to provide supports to healthcare workers. Now we are seeing the costs of his failure of leadership," said Gates. "Ford’s inaction in the face of this new variant has put lives in Fort Erie and across Niagara at risk. After two years of dealing with this pandemic, we’re still facing the same issues as the first wave – that’s because Ford refuses to make the investments in health care or take real action until it is too late.”
 
Gates said he will be formally requesting that the Ontario government deploy military aide to assist Niagara Health and to restore services at Niagara Falls General Hospital and Fort Erie’s urgent care centre. He is also calling on Ford to immediately repeal Bill 124, the low wage bill that is driving health care workers away from our embattled health care system.

“Ford’s inaction has made the crisis worse, and we must act now to safeguard the health and safety of Niagara residents. We must get military medical support into Fort Erie and ensure residents continue to have life-saving care available to them,” said Gates.