Demonstrators demand that Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault stop hospital cuts

More than onehundred people picketed in front of Sudbury MPP GlennThibeault'sconstituencyoffice on Friday to protest provincial cuts to hospitals in northeastern Ontario.

The rally was one of four held by the Ontario Health Coalition to save public health care services. Other protests were held in Hamilton, Ottawa, and southwestern Ontario.

Registered practical nurse JuliePaquettehanded out a petition asking the government to reinstate hospital funding.Paquetteworks at Sudbury's Health Sciences North, which had to cut $5.1 million from its budget this year.

"Why are these cuts happening when right now nurses are overworked and we're tired?" said JuliePaquette.

Some drove hundreds of kilometres to join the rally, like ArleneHearn. She recently lost her position in the sterile processing department atTemiskamingHospital.

"There's only one other full time position in that department left, not two. It really hurts" saidHearn. "We want the government to step up and fund our hospitals adequately so we don't have to suffer for the cuts."

Thibeaultaddresses cuts withHealth Sciences North management

Thibeaultnearly missed the rally because of a tourism funding announcement at Dynamic Earth that was scheduled at the same time. Hesaid the event was bookedweeks in advance.Thibeaultsaid he told the coalition that he could not attend the rally, but it went on as planned.

Demonstrators handedThibeaultdozens of balloons when he showed up. They wrote messages on the balloons, and taped signs to the outside of his office.

"If they have petitions, of course it's my job to introduce those [at Queen's Park]," saidThibeault. "As for the balloons I'm going to try to figure out a way to kind of get the air out of all of them, you know, to capture what they were saying."

Thibeaultmet with management at Health Sciences North after the rally to discuss the cuts and the possibility of bringing a PET scanner to Sudbury.

The coalition is planning to hold four more days of action.