If any more proof was needed why it is essential to do more tracking of the health-care system, it came with the announcement last week by Ontario hospitals that they are broke.

The province's 159 hospitals say they will have to consider cuts in chemotherapy, emergency rooms and dozens of other services if they do not get an extra $600 million.

Health Minister George Smitherman has responded by telling hospitals to work harder to find savings, and described their $600 million request as a wish list.

Versions of this same row occur annually. Residents are left not knowing what to believe since there's no reliable way to determine how well the province's hospitals stack up against others in the country.

Since taking over, Smitherman has made good progress in bringing on reforms that will ease strain on the hospitals, investing substantially in home care, long-term care and mental health. These steps will ease pressure on hospitals, but not overnight.

This episode underlines the foolishness of Canada's leaders fighting over a new national pharmacare program. It is ludicrous that Ontario hospitals are talking about cuts that will add to wait times, while premiers and the federal government trade accusations over who promised what on a drug plan.

When the premiers meet Prime Minister Paul Martin in Ottawa on Sept. 13, they must get down to business because patients cannot afford for them to waste any more time.