The executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition says a plan that would see a 16-hour per day emergency department in Wallaceburg would be the beginning of the end for the Sydenham health campus.
Initial planning for a revamp of the health system was unveiled last week.
Natalie Mehra took part in a news conference in the community Monday and said cutting hours could be the start of a downward spiral.
"Both the premier and the health minister said unequivocally they had no intention of closing the emergency department," she said. "That really put the hospital in a good position to argue for the funding that is needed."
Mehra says the question locally should not pit one community against another because both would be better served with more services.
