Medical association presents northern healthcare priorities for pre-budget consultations

Sudbury -

On Tuesday, the standing committee on finance and economic affairs heard presentations from organizations in the northeast as part of pre-budget consultations.

Dr. Stephen Cooper, a Manitoulin Island physician, spoke on behalf of the Ontario Medical Association. He highlighted the association's five-point plan, which was launched in Sudbury back in October.

It includes five priorities: reducing wait times, expanding mental health and addiction programs, improving and expanding home and other community care, strengthening public health and pandemic preparedness, and giving every patient a team of healthcare providers and linking them digitally.

To address the shortage of doctors, the OMA recommends several measures, including giving patients access to care in their own communities and reviewing and updating incentives and supports for doctors and other healthcare professionals to practise here in the north.

"We’ve had some really good programs from about 20-30 years ago that really did improve physician recruitment into the north," said Cooper.

"But those haven’t been reviewed in 20 years and so I think we need to look at those. There are many other provinces that are doing the same thing … look what’s worked what hasn’t worked and then put a trial in."

"The health care needs of northern Ontario are growing," said OMA president Dr. Adam Kassam.

"We know that there’s a greater proportion of its population that are over 65. We know there are complex, continuing issues from a care perspective that need to be addressed right now. So our recommendations focus on the need to improve not only access but capacity to deliver service."

Currently in northern Ontario, there is a need for 325 physicians.