NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says it is completely unacceptable that high-flying healthcare consultants cashed in on some of the $1-billion squandered by the McGuinty government’s eHealth initiative while Christine Wines languished, waiting for back surgery that will improve her quality of life.

“When it comes to health care there are two different worlds in Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario: In one world, healthcare consultants make $2,700-a-day to record voice mail messages; in the other, patients like Christine wait, local hospitals close and services are cut. It’s callous,” Horwath said.

Four years ago, Wines, a Grimsby resident, was struck by a car while using a pedestrian crossing. Since then, she has been repeatedly denied the OHIP-approved, doctor-recommended back surgery to relieve her of constant, chronic pain. Her local hospital blames a lack of government funding.

Wines’ physician, Dr. Phillip Chan, is frustrated that St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, does not have access to the adequate funding that would allow for the surgical implant of a spinal cord stimulator. The hospital does continue to provide this surgery to patients who have private health insurance or WSIB coverage. Wines and about a dozen other patients in Hamilton-Niagara have neither.

“The Premier tells Ontarians like Christine to accept health care cuts in these very tough times, but he refuses to take steps to end the health care consultant gravy train,” Horwath said.

“Can the Premier explain to Christine why this government is keeping well-connected insiders in the lap of luxury when it can’t find the funding to provide the surgery that she so desperately needs?” she asked.

In 2005, eight Ontario hospitals routinely implanted spinal cord stimulators. Today there are only two that actively offer the procedure, but none in Hamilton-Niagara.

“There are possibly hundreds across Ontario who suffer from grinding pain and would benefit from spinal cord stimulator surgery,” Horwath said.

“They dutifully paid their health premium on the government’s pledge of receiving health care where and when they need it. The McGuinty government has failed here on both counts.”

In Ontario, six health technology systematic reviews have been completed since 2000. All concluded that spinal cord stimulation is an effective pain therapy. Additionally, a Canadian economic analysis comparing the surgery to conventional pain therapy reported cost-savings of approximately $11,000 over a five-year post-operative period with the break-even point at two-and-a-half years.