Wayne Redekop received full support to keep lobbying for the Fort Erie centre to stay open
Fort Erie's mayor has rallied even more support to make sure Douglas Memorial urgent care centre stays open after the South Niagara Hospital opens in 2028.
Wayne Redekop received unanimous support at Niagara regional council last week for his lengthy motion, that, among other things, asks all levels of government, including the prime minister to help.
He's met many times with Niagara Health, and will continue to do so, which wants to close Douglas Memorial. "To operate Douglas Memorial right now, costs about $10.8-million a year. That is less than 2% of Niagara Health's total budget. But, we're not asking for money to come from Niagara Health, we're asking the province to provide that."
He says closing the hospital will lead to more wait times and ambulance delays, adding the new hospital will not be able to meet future growth of the region and the demands that brings.
He pointed out Fort Erie has enough fire services. "I would hope that in Ontario, we place greater value on the public safety and the health of residents, than we do on the property that people own. Keeping Douglas Memorial open takes nothing away from Niagara Health, it takes nothing away from the new South Niagara hospital."
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