Indigenous groups, nurses´ association say Ontario left them out of the loop on health reforms
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

Groups that could be affected by a major overhaul of the province’s health system say they are troubled they have been left out of the loop.Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said he was surprised to learn through the media that government officials have proposed “outsourcing� the ORNGE air ambulance service. Approximately 60 per cent of ORNGE’s transports are from northern Ontario, including from First Nation communities.The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) said it too is concerned it has not been consulted about health reforms that appear to be well underway.The provincial New Democrats caught the provincial government off guard by releasing to the media leaked government documents on proposed and planned health restructuring — one batch earlier this week and the other the week before.The documents state that Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet approved “the full health-care transformation plan� at a Jan. 16 cabinet meeting. The documents included draft legislation to create a health “super agency� out of more than 20 smaller agencies, including local health integration networks (LHINs) and Cancer Care Ontario.Also among the documents was a list of services targeted for “outsourcing.�Read more: Ontario whistleblower laws likely won’t protect bureaucrat fired for allegedly leaking health plansDon’t panic over Ontario’s looming health care overhaul, former top bureaucrat saysiPolitics | NDP’s incomplete redaction of health-care document led the Ford government to the whistleblower, sources sayAlthough ORNGE was on the list, Health Minister Christine Elliott has said it will not be privatized.She has tried to play down the leaks, telling the media that while “transformation� is coming, nothing has been “finalized� and that the government will continue to consult with the public. Fiddler said he is not quite sure what is happening but ...