Ritika Goel

To all my fellow moms in cishet relationships, this Mother’s Day, I wish you a partner who doesn’t take the kids once a year to give you a break, but spends time with his children regularly alone as their primary caregiver for the benefit of you, the kids and himself. 🥰

#HappyMothersDay

Palestinian paramedics shot by Israeli forces had hands tied, eyewitnesses say Senior doctor who saw bodies says men appeared to have been ‘executed’, adding to evidence of potential war crime

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

This is, in large part, pandemic revenge.

As far as these oligarchs are concerned, all science does is tell them stuff they cannot do.

They can't keep spewing carbon.

They can't keep businesses open as usual when millions are dying.

They have concluded that research is the enemy of profit.

Health, wealth and no one left behind - Healthy Debate Like the early days of COVID-19, tariffs have the country rallying together and governments promising decisive action to help us weather the storm.

What does a health-led, worker-first & Canadian response to the Trump tariffs look like?

My latest, for @healthydebate.bsky.social

healthydebate.ca/2025/04/topi...

If you live in a neighbourhood where one of the 9 SCSs was forced to shut down, let your MPP know that you want the sites open. That you know you and your family and community are safer when people can safely use indoors, and stay alive. And tell people what Ford is doing. It’s never too late. /6

The province’s own commissioned reports stated SCSs improve health and safety for the whole community and in fact these services must be expanded, not shuttered. But this was never about safety, nor what actually works. It’s always been about ideology. This is a war on drug users and poor people. /5

Despite the court injunction that has struck down Ford’s 200m rule which claimed SCSs cannot be near schools and daycare centres, the sites will still close, because Ford has cleverly tied funding for agencies to the stipulation that they not provide safe consumption and needle distribution. /4

What greater health intervention is there than saving someone’s life? SCSs save lives, regularly. But that service is not valued if those lives are not valued. And now the workers are told to not use their lifesaving skills, to discard the hard won trust, and let people die. /3

The sites have become a safe haven for so many people who have been often rejected from much of society, including often the healthcare system. Here finally was a place where people could use drugs and be safe, where for once their lives were valued, where they mattered. /2

Most supervised consumption sites that were set to close won’t offer service despite injunction. Here’s why Despite an injunction on Friday, provincial funding is contingent on transition to new model.

As a healthcare provider in Regent Park, I joined the community yesterday in mourning and rage as the supervised consumption site Bevel Up had its last day of service. It’s truly hard to express the cruelty this represents for people who use drugs. /1 #onpoli #medsky #topoli #cdnpoli

We are teaming up with @tngcommunityto.bsky.social to debrief and discuss any decisions that come from the Court today and tomorrow.

Join us for this virtual session at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 26.

Register in advance here:
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Applicants lawyer says that the correct question is whether Ontario’s law exacerbates risk to people who use drugs. The answer is yes, "unequivocally.”

#SaveOurSites #CTSontario #CTSsavesLives #CTScourtchallenge #SaveCTS #Ontario #ONpoli #SayYesToHealth

Nobody disagrees that it is safer to consume in a supervised consumption site. Only Drs Bayoumi and Werb assessed the impact of SCS on needle disposal and even crime in Ontario. Ontario was restricted to only criticizing these experts as they did not present anything to the contrary.

Applicants lawyers are now introducing their experts and evidence. Dr. Ahmed Bayoumi is well regarded by the Government itself. Dr. Dan Werb is also the PI of investigating impacts of SCS on people who use drugs in Ontario. Both are published in peer-reviewed journals.

We have prepared a backgrounder on this Charter Challenge, including a Glossary of Terms. Find it here:

www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/backgro...

#SaveOurSites #CTSontario #CTSsavesLives #CTScourtchallenge #SaveCTS #Ontario #ONpoli #SayYesToHealth

The Applicants lawyers note that Ontario can't prove an increase in crime around CTS locations because there is no evidence that crime has increased.

Applicants lawyers now focusing on the major harm to service users that would be caused by relocation. Even if possible, moving could make sites inaccessible to clients. 90% of clients are experiencing homelessness and can't just jump in a car to get to another CTS.

#SaveOurSites #CTSontario

Applicants lawyers are speaking to the difficulties of locating a CTS, noting the government invested significantly to hire six experts and 21 private investigators, but nothing to help impacted CTS find new locations.

Thank you for your support! Join us on Monday, March 24, at 12 PM at 330 University Ave for a rally in solidarity. There will be speakers as we stand together to support the charter challenge to save our sites. #SaveOurSites

This is incredibly important! Follow live updates here for the legal challenge looking to strike down Ford’s cruel and unscientific policy of shuttering any supervised consumption site within 200m of a school or daycare. #harmreduction #saveoursites

Israel blows up Gaza’s only specialised cancer hospital in massive blast Destruction of Turkish-Palestinian hospital has been condemned as being part of Israel’s ‘systematic state terrorism’.

Israel has blown up Gaza's only specialised cancer treatment hospital, the Turkish-Palestinian Hospital, along with an adjacent medical school, drawing condemnation for yet again targeting a medical facility ⤵️ aje.io/wpl2e4

Whoa I’d never heard of these folks. Such a cool sound!

Join Deputy Chief Bear Copenace and Judy Da Silva on Tuesday, February 25th at 11 am, at Queen's Park for a Vigil to honour #GrassyNarrows community members.

RSVP - freegrassy.net/doug-ford-co...

FordNation has been invited. Will he be there?

#FreeGrassy

‘Havens of love and care’: Ontarians protest closures of supervised consumption sites TORONTO - Dozens of people gathered outside Ontario's health ministry in Toronto on Tuesday, two days before the provincial election, to protest the province's plans to shut down 10 supervised

Vigils were held this week m in six cities acrosd thr province to condemn Doug Ford’s plan to shut down 10 supervised consumption sites. #onpoli #medsky www.thestar.com/news/ontario...

Extremely disturbing development south of the border. Trump is systematically erasing trans and non binary people and enacting a policy of widespread censorship. Where are all those freedom of speech warriors now?

#lgbtq #transcareishealthcare #translivesmatter

Health advocates raise alarms over supervised consumption sites closures Five supervised consumption sites are set to close in Toronto in March. Health care justice advocate Dr. Ritika Goel shares her concerns over the Ford government's decision to shutter the facilities.

Wondering why health workers across Ontario are raising the alarm about Ford’s closure of supervised consumption sites? Check out my interview with City News to learn more. #saveoursites #medsky

BREAKING: Philadelphia workers have won the first Whole Foods union under Amazon with UFCW.

Since Amazon bought the chain, workers have lost benefits and felt the squeeze.

Now they're fighting back against the multi-trillion dollar giant and hoping this win will be the first of many.

CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately, upending expectations of an extended withdrawal U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately.

This is completely NUTS!

CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately

www.statnews.com/2025/01/27/c...

2024 was a year of reckoning, testing the integrity of democratic institutions and the principles of international human rights and humanitarian law.

With more rigor and urgency than ever, governments should respect and defend human rights. bit.ly/4gUvG5f

#Rights2025

Academic Freedom at Canadian Universities Threatened as Schools Police Speech on Gaza, Canadian Organization for Faculty Associations Warns Association representing 70,000 academic professionals says teachers and students are facing repercussions for speaking out about Gaza

The level of suppression of speech we have seen across this country when it comes to Gaza is unprecedented. We should all be very concerned about this direction in our academic institutions and society more broadly.