Doug Ford creates $348,000 post for political ally and health care adviser
Article content
Premier Doug Ford has handed a senior member of his campaign and transition teams a $348,000-a-year public appointment.
Dr. Rueben Devlin, a former Ontario PC Party president, will serve as chair of the Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine, tasked with fixing the problem of overcrowded hospitals and improving the system.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Doug Ford creates $348,000 post for political ally and health care adviser Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
In addition to the annual pay, Devlin is eligible for coverage of travel, meal and hospitality expenses.
“At many announcements in front of media, and at rallies in front of thousands of people, Premier Doug Ford was clear Dr. Rueben Devlin would play an essential advisory role in ending hallway health care in Ontario,” Ford’s office said in a statement Friday. “Dr. Rueben Devlin brings decades of experience to this role, and is well-respected throughout the health care sector. He is an orthopedic surgeon, who, while serving as the CEO of Humber River Hospital helped to create the first digital hospital in North America.”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod said Devlin will reach out to others around the world, particularly across North America and Europe, for best health care practices.
”He is going to be worth every penny,” she said. “We are going to see that in the results.”
NDP MPP France Gelinas said the solution to the province’s hallway medicine crisis is to hire more frontline staff like nurses and to add more hospital beds to the system.
“The theme of Ford’s early days in office has been backroom deals to benefit his wealthy friends, and nothing to actually fix health care,” Gelinas said in a statement.
The Ontario Health Coalition expressed “deep concerns” about the appointment and demanded a clear commitment from the Ford government that it won’t close and centralize local hospitals.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.