Northeastern Ontario patients suffering from Parkinson\u2019s and other neurological diseases could get help closer to home, MPP says<\/p>\n
Published Apr 29, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 10\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 6 minute read<\/p>\n
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Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas, shown in this file photo, has submitted to the Ontario Legislature a petition with \u201cthousands and thousands\u201d of signatures on it, all calling for the establishment of a neuro movement clinic in Greater Sudbury. Photo by John Lappa \/Sudbury StarArticle content<\/p>\n
Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas has submitted to the Ontario Legislature a petition with \u201cthousands and thousands\u201d of signatures on it, all calling for the establishment of a small medical movement clinic in Greater Sudbury.<\/p>\n
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Signatories of the petition called on Queen\u2019s Park to \u201cimmediately set up a neurological movement disorder clinic in the Sudbury area that is staffed by a neurologist who specializes in the treatment of movement disorders, a physiotherapist and a social worker at a minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Presented to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the petition acknowledges the high rate of neurological movement disorders in northeastern Ontario, while arguing that specialized clinics tailored to the needs of those living with such illnesses can significantly enhance quality of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a high percentage of people who have neurological disorders; the main one is Parkinson\u2019s<\/a>,\u201d although patients with other neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis, could benefit from a clinic close to home, Gelinas said. \u201cMost of them have to travel out of town as their needs increase. So at the very beginning, the family physician handles it. As things get worse, they get referred to a neurologist; and as things get worse, they will get referred to a neurologist specializing in movement disorders. And then not only are you getting sicker, and it\u2019s getting harder to travel, but you have to travel further and further all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Gelinas said the idea for the petition was born after she visited a local support and advocacy group for people living with Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have thousands and thousands of people with Parkinson\u2019s, but their family, their friends, their healthcare workers who work with them, (all) signed the petition,\u201d Gelinas said.<\/p>\n All residents of Ontario deserve equity of access, she argued, noting there are effective treatments that can help people with movement disorders. But the lack of a clinic means a lack of care, and that causes isolation, increased pain, an increased potential for injury, and the erosion of quality of life and independence.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you don\u2019t have access to (care), then that\u2019s not fair,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are Ontarian. We have a health care system that knows how to provide care to people with movement disorders, which is effective, which makes changes and changes their lives for the better. But when you can\u2019t have access to that care, you suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n Sudbury Star Morning Briefing<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The petition indicated Greater Sudbury is the natural location for a clinic, since it is the health care hub of northeastern Ontario.<\/p>\n When she presented the petition to the Ontario Legislature<\/a>, she reminded her colleagues how prevalent neurological disorders are in Northern Ontario.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if you know this, Speaker, but northeastern Ontario has the highest rate of neurological movement disorders in all of Ontario,\u201d Gelinas told her colleagues at Queen\u2019s Park earlier this month. \u201cA specialized neurological movement disorder clinic would provide essential health care services to those living with diseases like Parkinson\u2019s, Huntington\u2019s, dystonia, Tourette\u2019s and many others. The City of Greater Sudbury is being recognized as a hub where most of those services should be available, but they are not.\u201d<\/p>\n Gelinas said the petition signatories are urging the provincial government to set up a movement disorder clinic in Greater Sudbury \u201cso that people don\u2019t have to travel long distances in the middle of the winter on roads that are poorly maintained, to gain access to the services they need.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Gelinas said Health Minister Sylvia Jones<\/a> was non-committal.<\/p>\n \u201cBasically, what the minister said is that she leaves it up to Health Sciences North to organize such a clinic. What HSN is saying is that \u2018we can barely keep offering the services we have now.\u2019 The budgets are so tight they\u2019re not looking at adding new services,\u201d Gelinas said. \u201cThey\u2019re looking at how can we keep the ones we have and anything that\u2019s an outpatient service is on the chopping block right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones said the provincial government \u201cis building a connected public health care system to improve the patient and caregiver experience, and strengthen local services. We are committed to ensuring patients receive the best care \u2014 no matter when and where they need it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones said hospitals are independent bodies.<\/p>\n \u201cHospitals administrators are responsible for the day-to-day management of their hospitals, including the delivery of services and implementation of programs, protocols and procedures adopted by the hospital board, within the parameters of provincial legislation,\u201d she offered.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Noting there has been an increase in the number of neurologists practising across the province and in Northern Ontario, Jones said as care needs increase, patients may wish to consider home care.<\/p>\n \u201cHome care is available to patients who qualify, as determined by their care co-ordinator,\u201d she commented. \u201cBetween 2018 and 2023, the number of neurologists practicing in Ontario increased by 25.9 per cent (from 405 to 510). The number of neurologists practising in the north increased by 22.2 per cent. We are creating a connected and sustainable public health care system that puts the people of Ontario first.\u201d<\/p>\n That response did not sit well with Gelinas, who said the Ministry of Health has a responsibility to \u201cbring equity of access to all. Every Ontarian deserves equity of access,\u201d within reason.<\/p>\n She understands that double lung transplants will not be performed in Gogama; however, Gelinas said it is reasonable to establish a movement disorder clinic in Greater Sudbury to serve the northeast.<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cThere is nothing that keeps us from doing this, except the resources,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Ministry of Health now has a budget of $95 billion. Don\u2019t tell me you don\u2019t have the resources to bring equity of access to the hundreds and hundreds of people that have a movement disorder. Don\u2019t tell me you don\u2019t have the resources to do this. It is your job to bring equity of access. We have demonstrated that right now, the people of northeastern Ontario do not have equity of access. It is your job to fix it, not to download it and say, let HSN figure out how to do this. It\u2019s not their job to run the health care system. It is the Ministry of Health\u2019s job.\u201d<\/p>\n Gelinas said the Conservatives just tabled a new budget, which includes an additional $5.4 billion allocated to the Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n \u201cSo the idea is really to target that new money,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re not talking millions of dollars to set up a clinic \u2014 once a month or twice a month, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders comes to Sudbury. We already have physiotherapists and social workers who work with people with movement disorders. We\u2019re talking very little, but it needs to get done.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 8<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n She said enough people have spoken up, indicating the service is needed. Now it is up to the province to \u201cmake it happen. And you have the money. You\u2019ve just been given a $5.4-billion increase to the Ministry of Health budget that has not been allocated.\u201d<\/p>\n As Gelinas said, \u201cbillions of dollars changes a lot of things.\u201d<\/p>\n Known for her tenacity, Gelinas, the NDP\u2019s health care critic, said she plans to keep putting pressure on Jones \u201cso that she does the right thing. I want to keep it at the top of her to-do list.\u201d<\/p>\n Gelinas said it would actually be quite simple to start a local movement disorder clinic.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the resources; we have the knowledge; we have the skills; we have everything in place \u2014 get \u2018er done,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I\u2019ll keep presenting petitions, as well as writing to her, to remind her to get that done.\u201d<\/p>\n To sign the petition, go to tinyurl.com\/4rcnevss<\/a>.<\/p>\n mkkeown@postmedia.com<\/a> Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links NewsLocal News Northeastern Ontario patients suffering from Parkinson\u2019s and other neurological diseases could get help…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":638619,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[49,48,84,392],"class_list":["post-638618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=638618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638618\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/638619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=638618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=638618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=638618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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