....possibly more debacles like the school board mess in Toronto.Marin drooling to sink fangs into health ministry |
Ontario's pit bull ombudsman wants to sink his teeth into some MUSH.
Municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals -- the so-called MUSH sector of government -- is currently outside of Andre Marin's jurisdictional bite, but he'd love to see that change.
"The area that cries out the most for oversight is hospitals and long-term care," Marin said yesterday.
'WHEELS COMING OFF'
"The ministry of health's position is a little like a baritone mellifluous voice telling you that everything is just on track. We have our own scrutiny, while meanwhile back at the ranch the wheels are coming off the bus."
He said he gets hundreds of complaints each year about hospitals and long-term care facilities alone, which he's barred from looking into.
The $18 billion-a-year health department essentially polices itself.
"Why is it that we in Ontario don't have an independent, investigative capacity to look into issues by our citizens is beyond my ability to comprehend," Marin said. "I think there's a resistance fundamentally here on the part of hospitals."
'FRESH EYES'
While he may not be a medical expert, he said he knows how to analyze and solve problems and would bring "fresh eyes" to the issues.
Both opposition parties backed Marin's call for oversight on MUSH -- especially his keenly stated desire to look into recent hospital deaths from superbug C.difficile -- but the government's response was an emphatic no.
Health Minister George Smitherman said the best people to look at medical issues are medical experts, citing his confidence in the province's doctors and nurses.
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