Ontario's Health Minister does not rule out the privatization of healthcare, as the government is looking at ways to address the severe staff shortages in hospitals across the province.
When asked if the government was considering privatization, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said, “All options are on the table.”
It is worth noting that emergency departments across Ontario had to close for hours or days this summer, and healthcare officials say this closure is due to the nurse employment crisis.
Jones also says she has been having conversations with hospitals across the province in an attempt to fix the problem.
She added that the government is considering making changes to the health system, but did not specify what those changes are.
Nurses' rights advocates have urged Ontario Premier Doug Ford to repeal the public sector wage cap legislation he introduced in 2019, saying it harms efforts to recruit and retain nurses.