Health care is the foremost concern of Ontarians today with costs related to quality health care continuing to climb and the population in the province growing and ageing at a steady pace. Ontario sees an influx of nearly 140,000 new patients each year and faces an acute
shortage of doctors and specialists. Ontarians have been hoping that the government increases funding and comes up with reforms to cope with this crisis, but they have only been handed more cuts which leaves them feeling vulnerable and losing faith in the healthcare system.
The
liberal government’s funding for healthcare has led to a great deal of upheaval and problems. Compared with many industrialized nations, healthcare in Canada is exceptional terms of quality of care and accessibility. In spite of the complaints regarding the current ‘
healthcare crisis’, Ontarians appreciate what the system offers. Nevertheless, this does not help resolve the problems like long waiting lists for some surgeries, delays in some kinds of cancer treatments, a shortage of family doctors and
overcrowded emergency rooms. Policies and funding strategies involving healthcare are under constant public scrutiny. The liberal government despite making heavy inroads into transparent governance has also drawn a lot of flak due to the cuts imposed on healthcare.
The current budget saw a nominal 1.2% increase in healthcare funding for this year with overall funding expected to increase by just 1.9 per cent a year till 2017-2018, during which time the Liberals hope to
offset the deficit. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care predicts the demand for medical care in the province to go up by 2.7 percent in the next two years due to a surge in population. Yet, the Government has only planned a 1.9 per cent increase in funding.
In 2012, doctors in Ontario took a 5 per cent cut in their fees for two years. It resulted in saving healthcare costs by $850 million for the government. During the past year, all Physician fees have been cut by 7% including those of family doctors and specialists. The government is also restricting new family doctors from join existing teams and limiting areas where they can practice. A hard cap has been placed on the total amount payable to doctors for public healthcare. The hard cap applies to all family doctors and specialists. By
limiting the amount of money it will pay doctors for their services, the Government is indirectly restricting the number of patients who can avail treatment. This would lead doctors to limit their time of practice and reduce the number of patients they see per day.
Seniors who are part of the Ontario Drug Benefit program will have to shell down more towards co-payment for prescription drugs and their annual deductibles.
Funding for hospitals in Ontario have been under freeze for five years now. With no additional funding and rising maintenance costs hospitals are adopting drastic measures to balance their expenses. Reduced staff, limited hours of operation and early closures are some of these. Over 700 registered nurses in Ontario have
lost their jobs in the past year. The Ontario Shores Depression Clinic which is one of the few clinics offering care for mental illness is open only once a week due to the freeze. Patient care is largely impacted due to this.
More cuts in the pipeline:
The obstetrics unit at Georgian Bay General Hospital is planning staff layoffs. Hiring new doctors for the obstetrics and gynecology unit in Leamington has been put off for the time being. Hospitals in Belleville and Trenton are considering the layoff of 84 staff members. Residents of Whitby, Oshawa, and North Bay are among the most affected.
What it means to us:
- Reduced access to primary healthcare
- Closure of several clinics across the province
- Dearth of family doctors, increased waiting time
- Extended waiting periods for Emergency and specialist services
- Reduced access for lab tests and longer waiting periods to undergo surgery
- Inferior patient care
Health Minister Eric Hoskins however, feels that
hospitals are solely responsible for these decisions. "
Our expectation remains that they work closely with the LHINs to determine how best to manage their budget concerns in a way that sustains quality health services for the future and does not impact patient care," he said.
Around 60,000 Ontarians have filed a petition opposing the government’s ongoing cuts to primary health care. Ontarians are still hopeful that with thoughtful health care reforms these cuts can be offset and quality healthcare can be accessible to everyone.
