Throughout Ontario, as Sylvia Jones was being sworn in as minister of well being, the province was pockmarked with emergency room closures and scaled-back operations as a staffing disaster took maintain of the health-care system.
The Perth and Smith District Falls Hospital was compelled to shut its ER for nearly a month on account of low staffing. Glengarry Memorial in Alexandria, Ont., needed to shut its doorways to emergency sufferers each evening within the latter half of July for related causes.
The closures drew the ire of advocacy teams who begged the province for solutions, with some saying the well being minister was unavailable on the peak of the disaster.
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The Ontario Nurses Affiliation (ONA) says repeated requests to satisfy with Jones fell “on deaf ears.”
“It took a number of months earlier than we have been capable of even have a dialog along with her,” stated Angela Preocanin, the primary vice-president of the ONA. “It was cancelled a number of instances.”
Preocanin stated the temporary assembly lastly passed off in September, roughly three months after Jones was sworn in on June 24.
Opposition MPPs made public statements all through the summer season, calling on Jones to reassure the general public about entry of care within the midst of a disaster.
“Because the Premier and Minister of Well being, they need to be standing entrance and heart to repair this ongoing disaster, but Doug Ford and Sylvia Jones are persistently nowhere to be discovered,” Dr. Adil Shamji, the Liberal well being critic, stated in an announcement on Aug. 2.
On July 22, Ontario NDP well being critic France Gélinas requested: “The place is Well being Minister Sylvia Jones because the hospital system crumbles and health-care staff cry out for assist?”
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Jones’ calendar from June 24 to Aug. 1, obtained by International Information by means of a freedom of knowledge request, gives some perception into what Ontario’s minister of well being was doing because the emergency rooms throughout the province dimmed the lights.
The calendar was launched with some redactions and excluded work Jones might have executed in her capability because the MPP for Dufferin-Caledon, which the minister deemed fell exterior of the data request made by International Information.
Employees for Minister Jones stated that she was receiving briefing on the file “throughout the first 24 hours of being sworn in” and was made obtainable to the media “throughout the first weeks.”
“All through that point, the enterprise of presidency continued and knowledge was repeatedly communicated to the media, together with to your outlet,” a spokesperson stated.
“You will need to be aware that Minister Jones continues to work even when it’s not formally recorded in her calendar,” the minister’s workplace stated.
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The next is a listing of key dates in late-June and July, together with recorded emergency room closures and essential occasions listed in Sylvia Jones’ calendar:
June 27
The primary day as minister of well being for Jones, based on her calendar. One occasion is scheduled — “minister meet and greet” for half-hour at 12 p.m.
June 29
Jones attends her first cupboard assembly.
July 2
Perth and Smith Falls Hospital is compelled to shut its emergency division for 3 weeks, till July 24.
No occasions are scheduled in Jones’ calendar for July 2, a Saturday.
July 6
Jones receives her first recorded briefing on emergency room closures in Ontario. A Microsoft Groups assembly titled “Minister Briefing: Emergency Division Closures” is scheduled for 3 p.m.
July 7
Purple Lake Margaret Cochenour Hospital in northern Ontario closes its emergency division in a single day from 8 p.m. to eight a.m. as a result of it’s “unable to employees” its operations.
A busy day is scheduled in Jones’ calendar.
It begins with a evaluation of media clips and each day minister’s briefing. This takes place close to each day all through the month, regardless of Jones not collaborating in a sequence of interviews till August.
The minister can also be scheduled to participate in a foundational coaching course.
Jones has a gathering with Dr. Catherine Zahn, deputy minister of well being, and the federal well being minister.
July 8
Saint Mary’s Memorial Hospital emergency room closes in a single day.
Two occasions are listed in Jones’ calendar. Simply earlier than 8 a.m., the minister is scheduled for “each day evaluation media clips.”
Shortly after, she takes half in a briefing with “MOH-MO administrators.”
July 12
The emergency division at Seaforth Group Hospital closes in a single day from July 12 to July 14. Clinton Public Hospital can also be compelled to shut its emergency division at 2 p.m.
Jones’ schedule is busy, with a be aware connected to the highest of the day stating she would start her day at 9 a.m., when a evaluation of media clips is ready to happen.
She additionally receives a briefing on hospital capital plans, together with unsolicited proposals and opinions AMO delegations. At 11:30 a.m., Jones is scheduled to participate in a gathering titled “Minister’s briefing: ED hours of operation.”
At 3 p.m., Jones’ crew schedules 45 minutes for an occasion that reads, partially, “hanging art work in personal workplace, Zoom set up with icon photograph.”
Her day is ready to finish with a foundational coaching course on Ontario Well being.
July 18
Jones’ calendar features a assembly with Clearpoint Non-public Hospital. Its web site describes it as “one of many few public/personal hospital licenses below the Ontario Ministry of Well being.”
The following month, on Aug. 18, Jones introduced that privately delivered, however publicly lined providers would more and more be used to ease the burden on hospitals.
Jones stated Ontario wanted to be “daring, modern and artistic” when in search of methods to enhance the well being system.
The minister’s workplace didn’t tackle a query asking if the assembly with Clearpoint Non-public Hospital in July was associated to the announcement the subsequent month.
July 22
Each Saint Mary’s Memorial Hospital and Seaforth Group Hospital shut their emergency rooms in a single day.
Jones spends the day on the highway. She is scheduled to make cellphone calls as she drives to Hamilton, earlier than touring McMaster College Labs and assembly with the Hamilton OHT at St Joseph’s healthcare.
The minister then travels to and excursions Hospice Niagara in St. Catharines, earlier than a private maintain in her calendar from 3 p.m. to five p.m.
July 23
Saint Mary’s Memorial Hospital emergency division was closes for greater than a day. Its ER closes at 5 p.m. on July 22, remaining shut till 7 a.m. on July 24. That day, the emergency room closes once more at 5 p.m., remaining shut in a single day.
There are not any occasions scheduled on Minister Jones’ calendar for July 23 — a Saturday.
July 25
Jones is scheduled for 2 hours of media coaching starting at 11 a.m. to talk to journalists the next day, nearly a month after she was sworn in as Ontario’s well being minister.
The following day, at round 10 a.m., she is scheduled to talk to the media on the grand opening of a brand new dental clinic in Toronto.
Journalists and the general public are given no prior warning of her look on that day, with the minister listed merely as “a Authorities of Ontario consultant” when the occasion is introduced.
July 30
A piece of Kingston Normal Hospital containing 10 beds is closed for the weekend of July 30 and 31.
There are not any occasions scheduled in Jones’ calendar on Saturday, July 30.
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On Aug. 2, Jones broke her silence and took half in a spherical of interviews with varied media shops concerning the disaster in Ontario’s hospitals.
“That hasn’t modified anyplace, there’s burnout in each sector, in each division throughout this province,” ONA’s Preocanin stated, chatting with International Information, on Nov. 15.
“The workload is horrible (for nurses) — it’s a warzone anyplace you look, it’s a warzone.”
