A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) reveals a significant hospital funding crisis in Ontario, particularly affecting Greater Sudbury. The report, titled ‘Failure, By Design: Ontario’s Deepening Hospital Funding Crisis,’ was presented in Sudbury, highlighting that 63% of hospitals in the North East region operated at a deficit last year, with projections suggesting that 70% of hospitals province-wide will face similar financial challenges by March. Andrew Longhurst, the report's author, stressed the importance of hospital services for community well-being and called for public discussion on the issue. He noted that hospital costs are rising by 6% annually, while provincial funding increases lag at only 4%. Additionally, wait times at Health Sciences North have escalated by 169%, from 2.7 hours to 7 hours for initial assessments. In response, the Ontario Ministry of Health defended its funding strategy, citing a 44% increase in funding to Health Sciences North since 2018. However, Longhurst advocates for an immediate infusion of $3.2 billion to stabilize hospital finances and a provincial health workforce strategy to address staffing shortages.