Fort Erie Healthcare SOS strives to fight against the permanent closure of urgent care centres across the Niagara Region.
At its inception, Fort Erie Healthcare SOS was founded in response to growing concerns regarding planned closures of urgent care centres (UCCs) in Fort Erie and Port Colborne to address understaffing in Emergency Departments.
Its founder, Heather Kelley, began advocating for Fort Erie’s urgent care centre by writing letters to local representatives and engaging with members of the community to express their concerns. Since then, Fort Erie Healthcare SOS was established, giving rural Niagara residents a platform to oppose healthcare cuts and closures in their communities.
This past May, Fort Erie Healthcare SOS partnered with the Ontario Health Coalition for an Ontario-wide referendum on healthcare privatization. Notably, Fort Erie Healthcare SOS was granted a spot in the ballot, which pertained to maintaining the operations of the Fort Erie, Port Colborne and Welland UCCs. Once ballots were counted, the results showed that over 98 per cent of the 400,000 Ontarians participating in the referendum opposed privatization and UCC closures.
On the same day that the Ontario Health Coalition’s referendum votes were presented in front of the Ontario Legislature, Niagara Health simultaneously announced a permanent overnight closure of UCCs in Fort Erie and Port Colborne, starting July 5th.
“We came home [from the Legislature] to find out that we are now looking at these part time hours. They were going to close the urgent care at 10 p.m, and open at 10 a.m. It’s just been a nightmare for a lot of people. I mean, I don’t know how you decide when to get sick or when you don’t,” said Kelley.
Despite Niagara Health’s decision to stop overnight operations in Fort Erie and Port Colborne’s UCCs, Fort Erie Healthcare SOS is continuing to work across the region to ensure better healthcare access across Niagara. At the moment, Fort Erie Healthcare SOS is focusing on spreading a petition to maintain the urgent care systems in Port Colborne and Fort Erie, as well as ensuring the Welland overnight surgical unit remains open.
Likewise, Fort Erie Healthcare SOS seeks to engage youth in the Niagara region to advocate for UCCs to remain open.
“I am really hopeful that our young people, who are far more tech-savvy, will be able to get the message out,” said Kelley.
For Fort Erie Healthcare SOS to continue fighting for better healthcare across the Niagara region, volunteers are needed in different areas of support. Some volunteering options available with the organization include administrative support, tech and social media support, distributing petitions and supporting upcoming press releases.
For more information on Fort Erie Healthcare SOS, visit their Facebook page. To get involved, email heatherkel@hotmail.com.
