MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT DOESN’T RECOGNIZE
CRISIS
BROCKVILLE — The McGuinty
Government hasn’t caught on to the fact
yet that there is a devastating doctor shortage
in Ontario, says Bob Runciman, MPP for Leeds-Grenville
and Leader of the Official Opposition.
“This is a crisis and should be treated
like a crisis,” continued Runciman. “Instead
we have a Minister of Health who is trying ram
to an unpopular deal down the throats of our
doctors and I am concerned that many of these
doctors will either retire or flee the province.”
Runciman’s comments came after provincial
media picked up on a unique doctor shortage
story from his own riding of Leeds-Grenville.
Area businessman Tim Mann of Mallorytown has
been advertising a cash bonus that started at
$1,000 and has risen to $2,500 for any doctor
who accepts his family of seven as patients.
He will also pay a yearly retainer of $1,000.
Mann is very serious about his offer and is
still optimistic an area doctor will provide
his family with primary health care.
“People all across Ontario are desperate
for doctor services,” said Runciman.
He said his government began addressing the
doctor shortage problem with a number of measures
that included opening more student spots in
medical schools, opening more residency spots
for foreign-trained doctors and creating a new
medical school for doctors based in Sudbury.
The McGuinty government’s only action
has been to announce a few more spots for foreign-trained
doctors.
“These steps are too little too late,”
says Runciman.
He believes the Minister of Health must first
re-open negotiations with the doctors and reach
an acceptable settlement. And then he must convene
“crisis” sessions with the Ontario
Medical Association and the College of Physicians
and Surgeons to develop an innovative plan to
bring more doctors on stream in Ontario.
“Everything must be on the table,”
said Runciman. “We must provide increased
funding to allow hospitals to create more residency
positions. We must look at ways, other than
the accepted procedures, to qualify doctors
to practise in Ontario.”
He admits there is a limit on how many residency
spots can be offered in the province but feels
other options must be investigated with an open
mind.
“There are hundreds of foreign-trained
doctors with years of experience from world-class
universities who are sitting in Ontario waiting
for residency spots,” continued Runciman.
“We must see if there is another way to
test their credentials, tutor them on Ontario
procedures, and get them working in health care.”
Runciman said there is also the ignored group
of Ontario medical students who are being educated
at well-known universities in other countries
who have to compete for spots with foreign-trained
doctors if they want to practise in the province
where they were born and grew up. There are
six of these students from the Brockville area
alone.
“Language is not a problem for these
doctors, they were raised here,” he said.
“And there is no question about the credentials
of the universities where they are being schooled.
And still they can’t practice here unless
they win the ‘residency lottery’
that now exists.“
Runciman said he is surprised that Ontario’s
citizens who are struggling without a doctor
haven’t been more vocal.
“We are in a crisis and we need a government
that is prepared to show leadership and courage
in looking for solutions that should result
from this type of calamity,” he said.
Media Contact:
Don Swayne
Executive Assistant
(613) 342-9522
