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More money for hospitals – Metro US

More money for hospitals

Ontario’s 150 hospitals are getting an extra $667.2 million this year from Queen’s Park but it won’t be enough to stop up to 220 job cuts — including 72 nurses — at Rouge Valley Health System or prevent other hospitals from cutting back, officials warn.
The money announced by Health Minister George Smitherman yesterday was pledged in last month’s Ontario budget and is the government’s regular annual funding increase for the sector that now gets $14.4 billion a year in taxpayer support.
Hospitals welcomed the infusion, but doubted it would be enough to avoid cuts given huge inflationary pressures in health care, such as spiralling drug costs.
“For a good chunk of the hospitals, it’s going to be difficult to balance their budgets,” said Tom Closson, president of the Ontario Hospital Association.