“MediBear”

Nick Seebruch
“MediBear”
Cornwall City Councillor Elaine MacDonald poses with "Tommy" the Teddy bear. Elaine and Tommy are warning of the dangers of privatizing Canadian healthcare (Nick Seebruch/ TC Media).

CORNWALL, Ontario – The Ontario Health Coalition is touring "Tommy" the bear across the province along with a message about the importance of public healthcare.

The bear is named after Tommy Douglas, the father of the Canadian Public Healthcare system. On Monday, June 5, Tommy was in Cornwall.

John Milne is one of the people who attended the demonstration in Cornwall at that corner of Pitt and Second streets, he warned that a lack of government support of the public healthcare system creates opportunity for a private sector attack on the institution.

“We are governed by the  CCAC (Community Care Access Centre) in this area and they are pushing private healthcare,” he said. “There is only one out patient re-hab centre in Ottawa for stroke victims in the Champlain LHIN (Local Health Integration Network). The government says that rehabilitation is the most important step towards recovery, then why do they not put enough funding towards it?”

Cornwall City Councillor and Labour Council member Elaine MacDonald was at the demonstration holding signs and handing out information to passers by. MacDonald explained the importance of having a public system that was fair for everyone.

“Everybody should be eligible for the same service,” she said. “In a two-tier healthcare system, public resources would be siphoned off.”

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