Renfrew County is getting more provincial funding for land ambulance services as part of Ontario’s plan to enhance access to emergency health care and shorten wait times for patients.
The province announced on Dec. 5 that it will allocate $13,413,122 in land ambulance funding to the County of Renfrew this year, which marks a 22 per cent increase from previous base funding levels. This investment aims to help municipalities handle growing operational costs while keeping local emergency medical services running.
“Our paramedics in Renfrew County are a large component of the continuum of care in our community. This investment is another example of how our government is investing in care closer to home where it matters most. Connecting people to care they need and deserve,” said Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP Billy Denault.
Along with base funding, the province is committing $163,800 to the County of Renfrew through the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program. This funding supports additional nurses and health professionals who help transfer patients from ambulances to hospital care, allowing paramedics to get back on duty quicker.
According to the province, ambulance offload times across Ontario have dropped by around 65 per cent since their peak in October 2022.
“Our government is making record investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system and connect people to the care they need, when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, deputy premier and minister of Health. “Through these additional investments, we are providing paramedics and emergency departments with the tools they need to connect more people across the province to high-quality emergency care, faster and closer to home.”
The province is also continuing its rollout of the Medical Priority Dispatch System across Ontario to enhance how 9-1-1 calls are triaged and prioritized. The system has been extended into several regions, including Renfrew, as part of a broader initiative aimed at speeding up dispatch times and better aligning resources with patient needs.
This funding is part of the province’s larger health-care strategy designed to improve access to local care and ease pressure on hospital emergency departments.
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