The Ontario government is trying to “sweep problems under the rug” until after the Oct. 6 election by taking control of six Niagara-area hospitals where a superbug killed 31 patients, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath charges.

Her comments came a day after Health Minister Deb Matthews announced plans to appoint a supervisor to run the Niagara Health System — including hospitals in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines — and report back on ways to fix problems.

“It’s quite clear that this is something that should have been done some time ago,” Horwath said Tuesday, calling on Premier Dalton McGuinty to go one step further by setting up an independent investigation into growing community concerns about the hospitals.

“Instead, they wait until right before an election campaign,” she added, calling the appointment of a supervisor “a bit of a Hail Mary pass . . . to avoid the wrath of Niagara families.”

The 31 deaths since May have been linked to the C. difficile superbug, but concerns about the hospitals have been festering for some time — such as other patient care and financial issues. The health system’s chief executive resigned earlier this year.

McGuinty said there is no need to rush the report from the yet-to-be-named supervisor.

“I think we’re acting responsibly in the circumstances,” McGuinty told reporters Tuesday.

“It would be extraordinary for us to say you’ve got to report back before a certain period of time . . . I just don’t think we should rush them into doing that because of some electoral deadline,” McGuinty continued.

“Our responsibility here is to make sure we’re providing the best possible care in that community. If there are challenges, and obviously there are, let’s address those. It’s about health and well being and care. That comes first.”

The Progressive Conservatives said McGuinty was “asleep at the wheel” as the death count grew at Niagara.

“Families are terribly worried. They’ve lost confidence in the local health care system,” said Conservative MPP Jim Wilson, a former health minister. “Families should be reassured or should be told something before the election . . . the fact that they’re being quiet about it makes me suspicious.”

McGuinty said the government didn’t announce anything sooner because it’s been working through “back channels” to determine a course of action.

“It has become apparent to us that both to reassure people in the community and to come up with a resolution of this matter that we’re going to have to step in,” the premier added.

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