The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

HB NEWS POLL: ONTARIANS IDENTIFY HEALTH-CARE PRIORITIES ONTARIO DOCTORS WEIGH IN ON SURGERY BACKLOG, HOME CARE VERONICA APPIA vappia@toronto.com The Ontario Medical Associa- tion (OMA) has released the ini- tial results of an ongoing pollask- ing residents to identify their pri- mary health-care priorities as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down. Through the poll, which will be used by doctors to help inform a health-care and pandemic re- covery plan that will be released this fall, Ontarians have thus far highlighted four major wait times and backlogs, access to physicians, health care for se- and access to mental health and addictions services. WAIT TIMES AND BACKLOGS Wait times and backlogs for surgeries, tests and procedures have been an ongoing issue and one of particular concern for those who F have been diagnosed with cancer or other serious ill- nesses that require immediate Pacer) or for those who have fallen radar, or have been Tetiagrosea during the pandemic. Last month, the OMA re- ported a backlog of 16 million procedures. Dr. Simron Singh, a medical oncologist and affili- ate scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre's Odette Cancer Research Pro- gram, said catching up on can- cer care will be imperative in the coming months. At the start of the pandem- ic, there was a 60 per cent drop in cancer surgeries and while that has been improving, a "long back- log" remains. “We also know that there's eq- uity issues and access issues that existed before but may have been amplified during this time," he added. "We need to work together to make sure that our most vulner- able are getting the cancer care they need. ACCESS TO PHYSICIANS OMA president Dr. Adam Kas- sam said Canada has among the lowest physician rates per capita pared to other countries that are part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and De- velopment. "When you think about a mil- lion Ontarians not having ac- cess, for example, to a family doctor, we see that need contin- ue to be ever-present and with a growing aging population, that's going to continue to bean issue,” Dr. Samir Sinha, the director of geriatrics at Sinai Health Sys- tem and the University Health Network in Toronto, said there is an even more substantial short- age in the number of geriatri- He suggested one potential so- lution may be to have govern- ment policies that outline health human resource strategies for physician staffing rio and Canada, with a en toi e the pumper of doctors over a S erioa of tim: HEALTH CARE FOR cues Sinha said the pandemic has given Ontarians an increased awareness of " challenges in our (long-term-care) sy: gross underfunding, thet tacks of staffing and how that actually leads to poor outcomes.” According to surveys conduct- by Ryerson University's Na- tional Institute on Aging, of which Sinha is the director of health policy research, 70 pe! cent of Ontarians said they would rather receive their long-term- care services at home than in a long-term-care facility. Looking to Denmark as a mod- el, Sinha said making invest- ments in home care is not only “the more preferential option" for the aging population, it is "a cheaper option." © ISTNGKONE SIAR ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS SERVICES Dr. Renata M. Villela, a psychi- atrist from Thornhill, Ont., who is also the president and psycho- therapy initiative lead for the On tario Psychiatric Association vice-chair of the OMA's psychia- try section, said the pandemic has exacerbated mental health is- sues, with some Ontarians hav- ing experienced "astronomical levels of despair," dealing with is- sues like loneliness, unsafe home environments and adequate hou: 1H UOWEH - cll UL | SZ Ey & a Ey = = x 8 “People have really been strug- gling to cope," she said, adding, itis critical during Ontario's recovery phase to listen to. patients, espe- cially those fro1 and racialized communities, about how to best be of service. Villela explained that, during the pandemic, tele-psychiatry has not only helped her stay con- nected with patients but has also- removed some of the geographic and socioeconomic pares that were preventing le from ac- cessing cal we parriers that dis- proportionally affect people in marginalized co! munities SX-3 .@nane| Halton Hills As we continue to reopen, remember to be considerate of others when out enjoying a meal, waiting in line or requesting services over the phone and online. Public Health Guidelines remain in place for your safety & the safety of employees and we're all doing our best. Our actions & words make a difference — be kind!