Ontario to spend $90M to address overcrowding in hospitals during flu season
TORONTO — Ontario will spend $90 million this year to fund hundreds of hospital beds ahead of flu season, a measure the province’s health minister said will help address the issue of so-called hallway medicine.
Christine Elliott said the funding will help Ontario’s hospital system deal with overcrowding that has resulted in patients being treated in unsuitable spaces.
“It’s unacceptable to see our loved ones treated in hallways and in storage rooms in our hospitals,” Elliott said Wednesday. “It’s no way to treat our loved ones.”
The government will fund 1,100 hospital beds in total, including more than 400 opened under the previous Liberal government that will have their funding renewed. Some will turn into permanent beds, though the government could not say how many.