Dear Editor, I am writing to my fellow Sarnia residents to sound the alarm on a silent crisis that threatens the future of our local healthcare. My name is Sal […]
Dear Editor,
I am writing to my fellow Sarnia residents to sound the alarm on a silent crisis that threatens the future of our local healthcare. My name is Sal Shuqair, a Registered Physiotherapist and the future owner of Shuqair Physiotherapy on Harkness Street. Our clinic has been serving Sarnia families since before I was born in the early 90s, but we are now facing an artificial crisis that threatens to end that legacy.
The provincial government is currently forcing a "take it or leave it" contract on community physiotherapy clinics in Ontario that has not seen a real funding increase in 13 years. While the cost of doing business in Sarnia has surged by 40%, the Ministry of Health expects us to provide a full course of care for a flat rate of $334.38.
This is a dangerous "false economy." To put it in perspective for Sarnia taxpayers:
Cost of one Physio Course of Care: $334.38 (regardless of the number of appointments needed)
Cost of one ER Visit at Bluewater Health: $1,375.00
By freezing our funding, the government is effectively pushing 517 of my local patients, mostly seniors and those with disabilities, out of our clinic and into our already strained emergency rooms. This isn't just about small business survival; it's about the survival of preventative care in our city. If we are forced out of the program due to these 2013-era rates, the resulting strain on our local hospital will inevitably lead to higher wait times and higher taxes for every resident of Sarnia.
We have until April 29th to sign this unsustainable deal. While I am working closely with MPP Bob Bailey to bring this to the provincial stage, we need the community’s voice to ensure the Minister of Health hears us. Sarnia deserves a healthcare strategy that invests in preventative care, not one that defaults to expensive emergency room visits.
For more information and to support our advocacy, please visit:
OPA Advocacy: https://www.opa.on.ca/
Community Petition: https://www.change.org/p/stop-
