Key Takeaways:
- As Ontario’s healthcare system struggles with a staffing shortage, temporary closures of emergency departments and lengthier wait times are becoming increasingly common.
In Ontario, temporary closures of emergency rooms and longer wait times are becoming more frequent as the province’s healthcare system struggles with a staffing deficit.
Although Premier Doug Ford acknowledged that more could be done to reduce the strain on the health system, he stopped short of proposing solutions in his throne speech this week.
Advocates and experts offer recommendations for how to improve Ontario’s overcrowded healthcare system.
Also read: A 5% increase in ODSP funding will be made available in September
They include educating and registering more health care professionals as well as repealing Bill 124, a rule that restricts wage increases for public sector contracts to 1% annually for three years.
A national approach for tracking staffing levels at various healthcare facilities is also recommended in order to ensure a balanced labor distribution, reduce service interruptions, and enhance working conditions for employees. The province is also urged to build publicly funded, standalone health centers that can perform less complex outpatient surgeries and procedures.
Based on the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, adequate remuneration, mentorship, and competent leadership will assist retain nurses as they struggle with nearly three years of pandemic fatigue as well as rising living costs.
22 million patient treatments, including 10 million surgeries and cancer screening procedures, were reportedly postponed over the length of the epidemic, according to the Ontario Medical Association.
According to the report, the backlog contributes to emergency department burdens, which may be alleviated by having different health centers undertake outpatient treatments.
Source: CTV News
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