Hundreds of individuals in search of a family doctor stood in a lengthy queue on Saturday morning at a health facility in the western part of Ottawa. The Active Care clinic in Kanata made an appeal for new patients and mentioned that they could accommodate 400 to 600 individuals, with many being assigned a physician assistant (PA), as per a clinic medical secretary.
Alison Boughey, who waited for nearly four hours in line, expressed the significance of securing a family doctor after being without one for about five years due to her previous doctor relocating to Trenton, Ontario. This situation was echoed by others waiting in line who had encountered challenges in finding a family physician in the city.
Ontario has been facing a shortage of doctors since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) informed CBC via email that over 2.5 million Ontarians are currently without access to a family physician. Recent investments in primary care were acknowledged as a positive step towards addressing the issue, but the OMA emphasized that the healthcare demands of the population surpass the available resources.
According to an OMA factsheet, Ontario has an estimated 2.8 physicians for every 1,000 people, with 40% of them contemplating retirement. Rijwal Chirammal, whose family doctor is retiring, shared his experience of navigating the doctor shortage while waiting for a replacement during the registration period on Saturday.
The Active Care clinic in Kanata, led by secretary Belinda Manuel, currently operates with approximately eight physicians and three PAs. Physician assistants collaborate with doctors to enhance patient access to emergency care and reduce wait times. They are authorized to perform physical examinations, issue referrals, and prescribe certain medications, excluding narcotics.
Individuals like Marlene Vieira, who relocated to Ottawa from Haliburton Highlands, expressed the challenges of securing a family doctor despite high hopes upon moving to a larger city. Vieira emphasized the need to adapt to the existing circumstances, recognizing the persistent issue of doctor shortages.
Overall, the demand for family physicians in Ontario remains a pressing concern, prompting individuals to endure long waits and uncertainties in their quest for primary healthcare providers.