The future of health care starts at Betterhealthcare.ca where area residents can tell us about their concerns.
TORONTO, June 8, 2021 – Every resident of Toronto can have their say in shaping the future of health care in a survey launched today by the Ontario Medical Association.
The survey, at Betterhealthcare.ca, will be used by the OMA to create recommendations to improve health-care services locally and across Ontario as the province emerges from the pandemic. The recommendations will address immediate health-care priorities as well as long-term care, the backlog of health-care services built up during the pandemic, access to mental health and other issues that have not had the attention the past 15 months or so has shown they deserved.
“This is a huge province and health-care priorities are different in every community and region,” said OMA President Dr. Adam Kassam. “As we create a plan for the future of health care in Ontario, from the grassroots up, we are asking everyone across the province to provide their input to ensure local health-care needs are considered.”
Doctors in every region of the province have been meeting to discuss what changes are needed to address the issues they experience first-hand every day, working on the front lines side-by-side with nurses and other health-care providers to save lives during the pandemic, and what issues need to be addressed as we emerge from it.
“Toronto is home to a diverse community of almost three million Ontarians and has unique challenges that need to be taken into account in developing an effective plan for the future of health care,” said Dr. Lisa Salamon, chair of the local OMA district. “This survey will help ensure that the various communities across the city are met.”
More than 8,400 Ontarians have died during the pandemic, including more than 3,900 seniors in long-term care. We have built up a pandemic deficit of more than 15.9 million missed patient services, roughly one for every Ontarian. The government’s own Financial Accountability Office says it will cost $1.3 billion and take 3-1/2 years to clear the backlog of surgeries and diagnostic procedures.
“It starts with hearing from our patients, their families, friends and neighbours about their health-care priorities. Doctors are listening,” Dr. Salamon said. “It’s time to fix the cracks in the health-care system that COVID-19 has exposed here in Toronto and across the province. By completing the survey, we will help identify the first steps that need to be taken as the health-care system refocuses its efforts beyond the pandemic.”
For the next few months, the OMA will be consulting with the public, members, health-care stakeholders, community leaders, elected officials and government parties to inform its health-care recommendations.
For more information and to complete the survey go to: Betterhealthcare.ca
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
For further information: OMA Media Relations at media@oma.org.