Ensure health care is a priority for byelection candidates: Ontario's Doctors

ORILLIA, ON, Sept. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - With the final week of campaign now underway in Simcoe North, do you know where the candidates stand on health care?

Often a top priority for voters, Ontario's doctors feel candidates vying to replace MPP Garfield Dunlop on Sept. 3 should not only make health care the priority during the byelection but after they get elected, too.

Health care statistics in Ontario paint a picture of a system near crisis.

• There are more than 800,000 people in Ontario without a family doctor – including thousands in Simcoe North.
• A recent Canadian Institute for Health Information report shows a decline in the number of registered nurses in Canada for the first time in two decades– with Ontario having the second lowest number of RNs per 100,000 people in Canada.
• Ontario has the lowest number of family doctors per 100,000 people in Canada; and it is below the national average when it comes to specialists per capita.
• Ontario has fewer hospital beds per 1,000 people than any other province with Canada ranking near the bottom of the list on this indicator for OECD countries – behind Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

"With an growing population adding 140,000 new patients to the system every year, and an aging population who require more complex care the demands on the system are only going to increase," said Dr. Mike Toth, President, Ontario Medical Association. "Every candidate needs to make clear his or her plan for health care in Ontario – not just during the by-election, but every day afterward, our patients deserve it."

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) represents over 34,000 physicians and medical students across the province. Ontario's doctors work closely with patients to encourage healthy living practices and illness prevention. In addition to delivering front-line services to patients, Ontario's doctors play a significant role in helping shape health care policy, as well as implementing initiatives that strengthen and enhance Ontario's health care system.

SOURCE Ontario Medical Association

Danielle Milley, Senior Advisor Media Relations, Office: 416-599-2580 or 1-800-268-7215 ext. 3008, BB: 647-300-0081, Email: [email protected]; OMA Media Relations, 416-340-2862 or toll-free at 1-800-268-7215 ext. 2862, [email protected]