The MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh is working alongside other provincial leaders to discuss how the government is supporting the region to improve patient care by getting paramedics back into communities faster.
Andrew Dowie, Premier Doug Ford, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, President and CEO at Windsor Regional Hospital David Musyj, President and CEO of Erie Shores Healthcare Kristin Kennedy, Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter, Warden of Essex Hilda MacDonald, and other local leaders held a meeting Thursday to discuss local EMS services.
The meeting comes after Windsor-Essex has continued to experience code blacks in the region.
A code black is used when there are no ambulances available to respond to emergency calls because paramedics are waiting at a hospital to offload the patient.
Dowie says there has been concerns raised in terms of off-loading ambulances, and local leaders wanted to enforce what actions were actually happening, and what more could be done.
He says these leaders are working to ensure these issues are only temporary.
"Now we get to the root cause of why we're experiencing some of these delays, and investing funds where they can do the most good to ensure that the issues we're facing are at least less frequent then they otherwise would be."
Dowie says there are many efforts being done to ensure there is no delay.
"The province has seen an action of an uptick in the last number of years in the number of licensed nurses. So, a lot of the efforts are there, we are seeing more nurses in the system. There are more and more getting licensed everyday. And these efforts are to try and support and grow our workforce even further."
He adds that he wants to thank those who are helping to combat this issue.
"It really will take some time to ensure that we have that opportunity to take care of these people who wish to be part of the solution. So really I want to thank everyone who's making an effort to be part of the solution in these challenges that we're facing."
The Ontario government invested nearly $1-million into the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program in Windsor to assist with patient offload.
Dowie encourages municipal officials who may have questions on what the province is doing to aid in EMS service issues to contact him or to contact MPP Anthony Leardi.