At its July 22 Council meeting, Huntsville Council joined a growing number of municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) in urging the Province to recognize the physician shortage in Huntsville and throughout Ontario.
The resolution, being circulated by AMO and OMA, notes that health care in Ontario is in crisis, with 2.3 million Ontarians lacking access to a family doctor, patients being de-rostered, emergency room closures and 40 per cent of family doctors considering retirement in the next five years.
It also states that it is “becoming increasingly challenging to attract and retain an adequate healthcare workforce throughout the health sector across Ontario,” and the “Northern Ontario School of Medicine University says communities in northern Ontario are short more than 350 physicians, including more than 200 family doctors; and half of the physicians working in northern Ontario [are] expected to retire in the next five years.”
It also notes that the percentage of physicians practicing family medicine has declined “from 77 in 2008 to 65 percent in 2022” and per capita healthcare spending in Ontario is the lowest of all provinces in Canada. “NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Council of Town of Huntsville urge the Province of Ontario to recognize the physician shortage in [the] Town of Huntsville and Ontario, to fund health care appropriately and ensure every Ontarian has access to physician care.” states the resolution approved unanimously by council on Monday.
Cracks in Ontario’s health care system will form part of key discussions at the AMO conference in Ottawa on August 18 – 21. OMA has also announced it will be sponsoring the Rural Caucus Lunch on August 20 and has reserved meeting space at the Fairmont Château Laurier for both August 20 and 21 to meet directly with municipal leaders.
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A great number of Muskoka residents, folks of an advanced age, therefore mature and experienced people who should have known better, voted for the Conservatives in the last two elections. Why?
Don’t they know that Conservatives invest only in projects that promise substantial short-term profits? Such as development of nature and construction of expensive dwellings.
As far as the Conservatives are concerned, vital items such as health-care, education, and ecology are long-term investments and therefore not priorities to spend money on.