Sudbury patient sick of virtual appointments
For Sudbury's Karen Haslam, going to the doctor is often a last resort.
“I try home remedies -- anything else first -- before going to a doctor," Haslam said.
"But having said that, through the COVID it's even been a little more difficult because I’ve always had to wait to get an appointment, but now even just for a phone call appointment it takes three weeks."
Her family doctor, like many in the province, is only seeing patients virtually. For some, that means over Zoom or Skype, for others like Haslam, it's simply a phone call.
“It’s really hard to describe to a doctor where you’re hurting and what’s going on when you’re talking over the telephone," Haslam said. "How do you point to the direction that needs attention?”
Ontario’s top health officials are siding with patients like Haslam. On Wednesday, a letter was sent to physicians across the province encouraging the resumption of in-person visits.
"While virtual care has enabled access to care during the pandemic, given broad vaccination coverage and fully accessible PPE, COVID-19 should no longer pose a barrier to in-person practice,” the letter said.
Ontario's chief medical officer of health, the Ministry of Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario all say in-person care can be provided safely again.
Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas said the letter has been in the works for a while. Gelinas said she knew it was only a matter of time because she continues to receive complaints from constituents unhappy with the care currently being provided in the province.
“We need to find a new balance between virtual care and in-person (care), because right now we are not meeting Ontarians' expectations in many fields," she said.
"I gave the example of cancer, but same thing -- a mom should not have to bring her child to the emergency room at Health Sciences North because of an earache."
Gelinas said it's one thing to tell physicians what to do and another to work with them. She’s calling on the Ford government to listen to doctors so they can work together to improve care for patients in Ontario.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.