Our healthcare system is easily overwhelmed, and this is not new. Healthcare has been underfunded for some time and ‘hallway healthcare’ has made headlines before covid was a factor. As the past chair of the Essex County Health Coalition, I helped bring awareness to this issue, including in 2016 when the Ontario Health Coalition organized a volunteer run referendum to stop healthcare cuts. I also worked with the Save Leamington OB group to stop the closure of the obstetrics ward, so women in our area can continue to birth close to home. In the early part of the pandemic, I organized and delivered over 5000 pieces of homemade caps, masks and gowns to frontline healthcare workers with the help of an amazing army of sewists.
The covid pandemic has highlighted, even more, the lack of funding our hospitals have received.