Letters to the Editor
DOCTOR SHORTAGES: THE SOLUTION FOR ONTARIO
Dear Editor
We, in Ontario, have a primary health-care crisis. Not only is there an obvious solution, we must be concerned with why steps haven’t been taken to fix this dire issue.
Recently, I have been approached by a number of residents, in Ontario, to see if there is something the provincial and federal governments can do about this life-threatening problem. From research there is a very obvious solution but only if the people of Ontario notify their MPs and MPPs to stop bickering and resolve a minor legislative criteria.
Firstly, there seems to be abuse on the part of doctors towards their patients. Some patients have been in the news for being fired by the General Practitioners (GPs).[1] This can be for things as simple as having to seek care through clinics, because their GP may not get paid. In some cases, time to get an appointment is horrific – 2 weeks to months. There are cases of GPs not doing follow-up and people are dying because of this. The lists are endless. This is not to say most doctors truly care about their patients – but to those patients who have been fired – they are left in a very dark place looking for the basic help they need just to live.
Secondly, we need to look at the cost. From the Ontario Auditor General’s December 2023 report “Value-for-Money Audit: Emergency Departments,” it has been found:
“The direct cost of an emergency department visit in Ontario was, on average, approximately $165 per patient in 2019/20, … This amount excludes compensation for physicians working in emergency departments, most of whom are paid through alternative funding arrangements, or through a fee-for-service method.”[2] …“almost three times higher than the cost of alternative options like primary care, which cost about $56 per visit.”[3]
So, what is the solution? Nurse Practitioners. These primary health care providers can do everything a GP can do, except bill through OHIP – two-tiered health-care. This is something that both levels of government are fully aware of – so isn’t it time for Ontarians to inspire our elected officials to use this solution for the sake of health-care in Ontario? That is for you to decide – but don’t take too long – people are dying and there is a solution, but only if you are prepared to take action.
