The Huron County Board of Health has approved a motion inviting the Perth Board of Health to join them in an attempt to get a meeting with the Health Minister to push for an answer on the funding request to help the two boards amalgamate.
They have previously been told by the Province funding would likely be available and they have asked the Province for one million dollars and they're still waiting for an answer. Huron Health Board Chair Tyler Hessel explains time is critical for the Huron Board because they have already extended the contract of their Medical Officer of Health, Doctor Maarten Bokhout into next year.
Hessel says they've reached the point where they have to start work in the amalgamation or hire a new Medical Officer of Health rather than continue to simply extend his contract.
“What we decided to do was put a motion on the books to invite Perth to come with us to a meeting to, hopefully, meet with the Minister of Long Term Care and Health. I just feel we can't be stuck in limbo the way we are and the board agreed. So we passed a motion that we're going to try to set up an appointment with the Ministry and ask them about the funding for the coming year.”
“As you're aware, Doctor Bokhout has a contract leave extended, which gets us into the next year, 2018. We can't keep extending like this and if we're not able to look at a bigger picture then we need to start looking for a new doctor and that's what's really pushing it along from my perspective.”
