The Kenora District Services Board is getting over one million dollars in new provincial funding for its land ambulance service grant.
The increase was announced on Thursday, Sept. 22, bringing the annual contribution from Ontario's Ministry of Health to the KDSB’s land ambulance service to over $13.4 million.
Henry Wall, the chief administrative officer for the KDSB, said the funding increase will help with the increasing costs that they are facing on multiple fronts, pointing to rising fuel costs, making wages for paramedics competitive, and enhancing recruiting efforts for more paramedics.
“This funding is helping us support the additional EMS crew that we have started up in the community of Dryden,” said Wall, adding “[it] was done just in response to the increasing call volume we were seeing, especially the last couple of years in the community.”
Since the funding formula operates on a 50/50 contribution basis, the KDSB was able to raise the funds required to get the provincial increase of $1,039,000. As the coverage area for service boards in the Northwest are geographic large, including unorganized township and First Nations, the province’s contribution is often more.
Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora – Rainy River who made the funding announcement at an event in Dryden, said the grant, “is another example of the targeted investments we are making to relieve pressure on the local health care system.”
