Ontario Medical Association's Prescription for northern Ontario
The opioid crisis is an ongoing problem in the north and officials in the area are actively speaking out looking for ways to improve the situation.
Right now, there are over 200 crosses on display at the Crosses for Change memorial in Sudbury, each one representing a life lost in an opioid overdose.
On Sunday, representatives from the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) visited the downtown memorial at the corner of Brady Street and Paris Street in hopes of drawing more attention to the opioid crisis and mental health issues in northern Ontario.
"Sudbury alone has a shortage of approximately 40 psychiatrists. We know that they have struggles with infrastructure with acute and sub-acute beds for mental health and addictions services and so this is part of our plan for the future and its important that we come up here and meet with leaders and communities that have been affected by all of the changes that have happened in health care and that's the reason why we're here. We're excited to be here," said Dr. Adam Kassam, the OMA president.
Meanwhile, the association is launching northern health care recommendations called Prescription for Northern Ontario in Sudbury on Monday.
The plan is to address health care challenges and service gaps in the region and contains a dozen recommendations to address the unique needs in the north including the chronic doctor shortage, lack of high-speed internet and reliable connectivity, as well as unsafe drinking water and inadequate health care facilities and resources in Indigenous communities.
It is part of a bigger master plan for the province called Prescription for Ontario: Doctors' 5-Point Plan for Better Health Care which includes 75 province-wide recommendations to be implemented over the next four years.
"The OMA recognizes that the northern disparities in health care have existed for many years but the COVID-19 pandemic has made these gaps more visible and the need for solutions more urgent," Kassam said at a news conference Monday at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.