‘Stop Americanising our health care system’: London Health Coalition rally against privatization

The London Health Coalition held a protest at Wellington Road and Highway 401 over the privatization of provincial health care.

A small group of demonstrators gathered on the Wellington Road overpass above Highway 401 on Thursday, protesting what they describe as the increasing privatization of Ontario’s health care system.

Chanting “private health care has got to go,” about a dozen people held signs as traffic passed beneath them.

The rally was organized by the London Health Coalition, part of a broader campaign to oppose what the group calls provincial health care reforms.

“Frustration with the Ford government’s approach to public health care,” said Peter Bergmanis, co-chair of the London Health Coalition. “It’s to the point that now we’re demanding that this province enforce its legal obligation to provide universal, medically necessary care in public hospitals.”

Bergmanis said he has heard from several Ontarians who have paid out of pocket for surgeries they believe should be covered by OHIP, often out of fear of long wait times in the public system.

“We are going to be in the public eye as frequently as possible. Many demonstrations are happening provincewide, and it’s going to send a clear message to the government: stop Americanizing our health care system,” he added.

The London protest is one of several taking place across the province, as health care advocacy groups raise concerns about for-profit clinics and the erosion of publicly funded services.