LITTLE CURRENT – While it may not be the case for every hospital in Ontario, the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) has passed a balanced budget for 2021-2022.
“The resources committee looked at the draft budget for 2021-2022 and is in full support of it,” stated Sal Brunetti, MHC board member, at a meeting last week.
Tim Vine, vice president, corporate support services and chief financial officer of MHC, told the Recorder after the meeting, “the 2021-2022 budget was passed by the board and is a balanced budget as per the obligations we have. If we had a deficit it would never be reviewed by Ontario Health.”
“We are quite pleased we have a balanced budget; this may not be the case for every hospital in the North, or throughout Ontario,” stated Mr. Vine. He noted under the budget, “we had assumed a one percent increase in our base funding from the province.”
“In the provincial budget announced (last) week it was mentioned there is an overall 3.4 percent increase in funding to the hospital sector, although we don’t currently know what that will translate into for small hospitals,” said Mr. Vine. “In the coming weeks we will receive a funding letter from the province for this year. With a 3.4 percent increase overall in the hospital sector for this year, I’m anticipating our actual share will be greater than one percent in our base funding.”
Mr. Vine acknowledged the MHC, “has been extremely fortunate that the province has provided assistance for the COVID-19 expenses (the MHC) has incurred over the past year. If they hadn’t provided this support we wouldn’t have a balanced budget. And the province has indicated it will continue to provide assistance for COVID-19 expenses.”
