Ontario Hospitals Warn That World Class Research Projects at Risk Unless Research Funding Issue Resolved

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Thursday, June 2, 2005

Ontario Hospital Association & Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario Call on Ottawa to Urgently Respond to Provincial Concerns

TORONTO -Some of Canada’s most important hospital-based research projects are at risk because Ottawa has not responded to the genuine concerns raised by Ontario and three other provinces about funding for the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Research Hospital Fund, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) said today.

"Some of Canada’s finest researchers are working on projects with huge breakthrough potential right here in Ontario," said Tom Closson, CAHO President. "If this funding problem isn't dealt with immediately, Canada may risk losing these researchers to other countries and risk falling even further behind when it comes to leading edge research and innovation. The Federal Government has the fiscal capacity to support those projects and to move quickly."

The University Health Network, Mt. Sinai Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute are already working on six separate research projects in areas such as genomics, robotics and proteomics, leading edge assistive devices design, imaging technology and biotherapeutics through the support of the Research Hospital Fund. Consistent with the structure of Innovation Fund grants, these hospitals have already secured their 20% share of project costs.

"In addition to the loss of research that can’t likely be recovered in Canada, failure to resolve this serious funding problem is also putting millions in private donations at risk, generating construction delays and significant added costs while also jeopardizing the potential success of the MaRS project," added Hilary Short, OHA President and CEO. "It is imperative that the Government of Canada respond to the concerns of Premier McGuinty and The Council of the Federation and take steps to resolve this issue right away."

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