Hospital officials across Ontario were paying extra attention to Thursday’s provincial budget, hoping to get more funding for health care.
Some say they are tapped out and are struggling to serve the number of patients they are currently looking after.
Officials at Brantford General Hospital say overcrowding is a daily issue, andthehospital can’t keep up with number of patients seeking treatment.
Residents are noticing too.
Resident Loraine Benjamin says she has seen the overcrowding problem first hand.
“I saw it myself in the emergency room. The staff is wonderful, the doctors are wonderful… but they are running from patient to patient.”
Benjamin says during her four hour wait in the ER she realized how overcrowded Brantford General Hospital is.
“I think the government is overlooking this need and I’m sure were not the only city that has this problem,” Benjamin said.
Jim Hornell, President and CEO of the Brant County Health System, says his hospital is funded for 262 beds but on any given day they have 285 patients looking for one.
“We have many people coming to our emergency room and no place for them to go. On any given day we could be running $10,000 dollars over what we are funded for," Hornell said.
Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa announced in Thursday’s provincial budget nearly $518 million in new operating funding for the province's hospitals.
That’s an increase of more than 3 per cent. But the Ontario Hospital Association had asked for an increase of 4.9 per cent.
The finance minister says the money will help relieve pressure on Ontario hospitals.
With reporting by Tyler Calver.
