Catherine Fife MPP, Waterloo

Government of Ontario

“I’ve never seen it this bad”: MPP Fife goes to bat for Waterloo dad seeking heath care for daughter

Published on August 1, 2024

WATERLOO – MPP Catherine Fife has responded to a flood of complaints from constituents, like Chris Walker and his family, who are struggling to receive treatment from Ontario’s public health system.

On July 19, Walker contacted Fife with an urgent plea for help. His 25-year-old daughter, Tatiana, has been taking pain medication since a serious accident five years ago. Then, in early July, she fell while walking her dog and was admitted to St Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener. Because of the severe pain that Tatiana experienced, she was unable to walk or feel her legs, and a neurologist recommended a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon. The earliest available appointment was several months away, so Walker paid a surgeon in the U.S. to review Tatiana's M.R.I. results. They diagnosed the problem and recommended decompression surgery.

Walker said, “There is something wrong with our heath system that I can get answers from a doctor in another country faster than the Canadian hospital that my daughter is in. We were advised to go to their emergency department and wait for admission, but my daughter is in such excruciating pain that even simple movements cause her intense distress. She needs to be transferred by ambulance with a guarantee they will find a spot for her.”

He added, “We have written to Doug Ford’s office, the patient ombudsman, and the hospital administration, without any success.”

Fife said, “Ontario’s healthcare system is broken, resulting in unnecessary pain and suffering for people like Tatiana. I don’t think I have ever received so many desperate calls and emails from the public than on this one topic. Time and time again, people have shared the challenges they’ve faced when trying to access the care they need, when they need it. Instead, they’re being left to fend for themselves. Ontario is sick of Doug Ford and his callous healthcare policies, and we deserve better.”