Doug Ford inhaled an insect as he discussed privatizing Canadian health care.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford accidentally swallowed a bee in the midst of a Friday press conference in Dundalk, as he discussed the future of Canada’s healthcare system, defusing a potentially tense moment.
After declaring “Everything is available” regarding the controversial potential privatization of the state-run system, Ford was interrupted by the insect zooming down his gullet.
“Jesus, I’ve just eaten a bee.” he exclaimed, apologizing to the laughing crowd of reporters for the interruption and correctly predicting that video of the show-stealing insect would be “You can replay it over and over..”
“He went straight down the hatch, man!,” the premier joked. “I’m going to be howling tonight watching this tape… I can’t even remember what we’re talking about, I’ll be rushing to the hospital to get this bee out of here,” he said.
While Ford has insisted Canadians will remain “100 per cent” covered by the national healthcare system, he has called for the province to “Get creative” to make ends meet, insisting they can’t “Continue doing the exact same thing expecting to get a different outcome.”
On occasion, emergency rooms have had to shut down for days due to shortages in staff. Sylvia Jones, the Health Minister threatened to privatize this system further. Ontario’s nurse-per capita ratio is the lowest in the country with 665 nurses per 100,000.
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While Ford and other defenders of increasing the role of private corporations in the healthcare field have insisted services will remain free to all Canadians, critics fear more privatization will create a two-tiered system in which the poor are faced with “Poor care and access barriers,” and longer wait times, while skilled staff flee government clinics to cash in in the private sector.
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