Ontario's political party leaders pledge to fix health care shortage in the north
Ontario's main political parties are promising to hire more doctors and nurses and increase the number of spaces at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to address the need for health-care workers in the region -- a problem that a hospital president says requires both immediate and long-term solutions.
The longstanding shortage of health-care workers in the region has prompted numerous calls for significantly increased investment in the sector to address local shortfalls, often accompanied by warnings about the consequences of inaction on the issue.
Such shortages forced the Margaret Cochenour Hospital in Red Lake, Ont., to close its emergency room for 24 hours at one point in late March due to a shortage in local physicians able to work in the department.
Sue LeBeau, the hospital's CEO, said the 24-hour closure was "very difficult" for hospital staff and created "a sense of anxiety" in the Red Lake community, which recently experienced two forest fires and flooding.
"It was quite terrifying, actually," LeBeau said, noting there was a period of about five hours during which both the hospital's ambulances were more than 200 kilometres away carrying patients to another facility.
"It's something that I think our staff and our physicians are still grappling with."
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said it's been clear for "quite some time" that residents in the north don't have equitable access to health-care, including doctors and nurses.
To address the problem, she said her party would immediately hire and recruit 300 doctors in northern Ontario, including 100 specialists and 40 mental health practitioners, and train more doctors and health professionals to work in the north by expanding the number of seats and training opportunities at NOSM University.
But Horwath said the province also needs to do more to attract health-care workers -- and their families -- to live in northern Ontario by bolstering offerings in areas ranging from schools to artistic and recreational opportunities.
"We have to make sure that northern communities are places where doctors want to bring their spouses and their families, and so making sure that those communities have the offerings that will attract people to set down roots there is also a big part of our commitment," she said during an interview in Mississauga, Ont.
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said his party would increase the number of spaces available at NOSM University and hire 100,000 new health-care workers across the province, including doctors and nurses, over six years.
Del Duca added that anybody who would like to pursue their university studies in health-care and is prepared to practise in underserved, remote and rural communities, including in the north, won't have to pay any tuition if his party is elected.
"We're going to make it that much easier for you if you're prepared to go and work in those communities that need the help," he said Saturday during a campaign stop in Toronto's west end.
"That is very clear, targeted support that will go ... right at the heart of the challenge that we're facing."
The Progressive Conservatives, who are seeking re-election, introduced a plan before the campaign to invest $142 million to support nurses' tuition reimbursements in exchange for service in underserved communities across Ontario and train more doctors through the expansion of medical education spaces, with 160 undergraduate seats and 295 postgraduate positions proposed over the next five years.
The Tories also said they would make it easier and quicker for health workers with foreign credentials to begin practising in Ontario by reducing barriers to registering with and being recognized by health regulatory colleges.
"(Party Leader) Doug Ford is getting it done by adding more nurses, doctors, and personal support workers, building Ontario with much-needed hospitals and longΓÇÉterm care beds, and supporting seniors so they can receive care and stay in the comfort of their own homes longer," the party said in a statement Saturday.
The Green Party, meanwhile, said it would double the Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative and the Northern Physicians Retention Initiative to recruit 230 doctors and specialists in northern communities and expand the roles and scope of nurse practitioners as primary health care providers.
Among other promises, the Greens also said they would support expanded virtual care options for primary care providers and improve the availability of supports and services in French and Indigenous languages.
LeBeau said the Red Lake community "continues to be at risk" and now is the time for action.
"There will need to be some longer term solutions like increased spots in medical schools, increased residency spots, as well as some support for shorter term solutions like physician extenders, whether that's physician assistants or a nurse practitioner," she added.
"We can't, we don't have time to wait until the system catches up and educates enough physicians."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.