Province boosts ambulance funding in North Bay by $1M

The Ontario government is providing nearly $8 million to the North Bay area ambulance service.

The Ontario government is providing $7,937,794 to the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board through the Land Ambulance Service Grant, an increase of 15 per cent compared to last year.

That works out to about an extra $1 million, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said in a news release Friday.

Fedeli said the extra funding would “connect more people to emergency care faster and increase the availability of paramedics and ambulances in the community,” and help the board deal with the increased costs of ambulance services.

“Our government is taking action to build a strong, responsive health care system that continues to meet the needs of Ontarians, no matter where they live,” he said in the news release.

Grateful for the funding

Melanie Shaye, the board’s CAO, said they were grateful for the money.

“This investment, along with the province’s commitment to making the Community Paramedicine Program a permanent and growing part of our health system, shows a strong dedication to strengthening both emergency response and care at home,” Shaye is quoted as saying.

“These investments make a real difference in ensuring our residents, especially those who are most vulnerable, can rely on timely and high-quality health services when they need them most.”

The province is also continuing to implement the Medical Priority Dispatch System.

“The system helps to better prioritize and triage emergency medical calls and dispatch paramedics sooner,” the release said. Its use has been expanded to Mississauga, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Renfrew, Georgian, Kingston, Lindsay, Oshawa and Timmins.

The plan is to implement the system at the 10 remaining Central Ambulance Communication Centres across Ontario over a year ahead of schedule.