Gates demands urgent action from Ford as emergency rooms close in record numbers

QUEEN’S PARK - MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls Riding) called for immediate action Tuesday following new reports of a dramatic increase in emergency room and hospital closures over the past year, including the Fort Erie urgent care centre.

“In this year alone, there have been closures in 868 emergency departments and 316 urgent care centres in Ontario,” said Gates. “These closures have deeply affected our communities, including Fort Erie through the closures at Douglas Memorial Urgent Care Centre.”

The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) report found that vital hospital services such as emergency departments, maternity and obstetrics, outpatient laboratories and intensive care units, have been facing repeated closures at an unprecedented rate in the past 3 years.

“Nearly half the population of Fort Erie is over the age of 55", said Gates. "8,000 residents do not have a family doctor. There is not reliable public transit in the town. Having an urgent care centre open 24/7 can mean the difference between life and death for many residents.”

Douglas Memorial Urgent Care has been closed permanently overnight since July 2023.

“We need a Premier who will stop fighting nurses in court and properly fund our public health care system to ensure every community has access to the health care they deserve,” said Gates.