MANITOULIN – Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) is now seeing funds flowing to it from the province for its COVID-19 pandemic expenses.
“We have started receiving funding for COVID-19-related incremental operation expenses,” Tim Vine, MHC vice-president of corporate support services and CFO told the MHC board at a meeting last week.
Mr. Vine explained to the Recorder after the meeting, “we’ve been submitting our incremental expense costs to the ministry for things such as the purchase of additional personal protective equipment (PPE), two assessment centres, field hospital and additional workers including extra staff for screening.”
“We didn’t know if funding would be provided by the province to offset these costs,” said Mr. Vine, “but I am pleased to report that we started to receive funding, from August of this year. We started submitting our additional cost expenses this past June going back to March through May and have now been advised we will be funded for these expenses through August. And we have received soft assurances that this funding will continue and that we need to continue sending in our submission templates through March 31 (2021). This is a good indication that funding will continue.”
This funding will resolve the year to date deficit for MHC and is most welcome to ensure the financial sustainability of MHC and its response to, and preparation for, COVID-19 on Manitoulin Island.
Mr. Vine pointed out funding from the province, “has only been received up to July, but at least the money is starting to flow.” He explained MHC submits cost templates to the province every month and said, “we have been spending a lot of money in preparation for COVID-19 and precautions, $276,00 to the end of July. Now we are in a more steady state providing for screening and assessment, which amounts to about $30,000-40,000 every month that we have not budgeted for.”
