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The provincial government has earmarked $25 million in funding to create a new hub for Black communities in Peel to access health-care services, officials announced Wednesday.
It’s called the Peel Black Health and Social Services Hub, and Health Minister Sylvia Jones says it’s expected to be up and running by next year.
“For far too long, too many Ontarians have spent too much time navigating the health system,” Jones said at a morning news conference. “Ontarians have had to travel too far to get care, and have spent too much time trying to navigate a complicated and disconnected health-care system.
“That is exactly why we are connecting communities across Ontario to the health-care and community supports they need, closer to home, no matter where you live.”
Jones said the hub, which is being funded on a three-year commitment, will be a “full-service” location for Black people and families in the region to find health-care and social services in one place.
It will house primary health care, mental health and social services professionals, she said, who will focus on things like maternal and infant health, chronic disease prevention and management, and senior’s health, with a special focus on diseases that disproportionately affect Black communities. A location for the hub has not yet been announced.
Brampton Centre MPP Charmaine Williams called the plan a “historic investment,” adding that racialized communities have traditionally been underserved by the health-care system.
“There’s been a feeling of distrust for the health-care system because the health-care system has not been culturally appropriate or culturally sensitive to the issues facing the community,” she said.
“So when we see things like this hub … you’re creating a safe space for members in the community to voice their concerns.”