With two weeks until voters in the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex select a new MPP in a by-election, the Ontario government has announced millions in funding to try to address gaps in primary care in the region.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones was in Muncey on Thursday to announce $6.4 million in funding "connect over 23,000 people to primary care teams" in the area.
According to the province, the money will go toward:
-New mobile services for an Indigenous Primary Health Care Organization that will support First Nations, Inuit and Metis community members in Middlesex County.
-A new mobile bus to connect Indigenous people in rural and urban areas of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex with Indigenous led, culturally relevant primary care services in person and virtually.
-A new Family Health Team for London and the surrounding area, that will expand services through additional Community Hub locations throughout the area.
-An expanded Family Health Team in Elgin County that will partner with another Family Health Team and Community Health Centre to increase the number of people who can connect to team-based primary care services.
-A new rural site along with expanded capacity at an urban clinic in Lambton County, focused on connecting isolated seniors, socioeconomically disadvantaged and vulnerable people, newcomers, and refugees to primary care.
-New mobile primary care services in Chatham-Kent, including clinics for respiratory and diabetes management, cancer screening and traditional healers to help provide culturally appropriate care.
-Primary care service expansion in Tillsonburg to connect vulnerable and medically complex community members to comprehensive, convenient and connected primary care closer to home.
Voters in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex will vote in the by-election on May 2 to elect a new MPP to replace Monte McNaughton, who left politics to take a job with Woodbine Entertainment.