Town supports call for Province to acknowledge physician shortage
July 27, 2024 at 4:50 AM
As Fort Erie continues to battle for improved health care, the Town has joined a province-wide call to have Queen’s Park acknowledge there’s a physician shortage in Niagara and beyond.
The request for support comes from a joint effort of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA).
“Communities across Ontario have been facing critical health-care challenges, including long waitlists for primary care, shortages of doctors and other health care workers; and emergency room closures. These cracks in Ontario’s health care system are impacting economic development, health, and well-being at the local level,” reads a letter from Kimberly Moran, CEO of the OMA, to Mayor Wayne Redekop.
The resolution calls on the Province to “recognize the physician shortage in the Town of Fort Erie and Ontario, to fund health care appropriately and ensure every Ontarian has access to physician care.”
“By adopting this resolution, your municipality can play a crucial role in highlighting the urgent need for more healthcare resources and support,” Moran’s letter reads.
That’s nothing new to Fort Erie, where politicians and community groups have been fighting to keep Douglas Memorial Hospital open amid a planned reorganization by Niagara Health to address staffing and funding shortages.
At a community event outlining the changes earlier this year, Redekop pointed out to Niagara Health senior executive members that there are 7,000 patients in Fort Erie not rostered.
“We’re looking for a commitment from Niagara Health and the Ministry of Health to ensure continued operation of the urgent care centre unless and until a sustainable alternative is in place,” Redekop said at the meeting.
Moran’s letter also said the OMA will be a part of the upcoming AMO conference in August.
“We believe that collaboration between Ontario’s doctors and all 444 municipalities is essential in addressing the healthcare needs of your community,” Moran’s letter reads.
The resolution points to several worrying trends, including 2.3 million Ontarians lacking a family doctor while 40 per cent of family doctors will be considering retirement in the next five years.
It also pointed to specific issues in Northern Ontario, a decrease in the percentage of family doctors practising comprehensive family medicine and a per capita healthcare spending total in Ontario that’s lowest in Canada.
No response yet to Fort Erie’s recent health care resolution
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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