Ontario’s Health Minister on Thursday shared a plan for how the province will attempt to stabilize the health-care system.
Sylvia Jones says it includes increasing surgeries performed at private clinics but maintaining OHIP coverage for them and temporarily paying the exam and registration fees for internationally trained nurses.
It also plans to introduce legislation that will allow patients waiting for a long-term care bed to be transferred to a “temporary” home not of their choosing until space becomes available in their preferred home.
The plan comes as nursing staff shortages have seen emergency departments across the province close throughout the summer for hours or days at a time.
Meanwhile, the president of the Ontario Nurses’ Association is criticizing the provincial government’s plan to increase services in private health care clinics.
Cathryn Hoy says health-care privatization provides worse health outcomes to patients and has higher overhead costs that will be paid by taxpayers.
Elsewhere, the Ontario Health Coalition has noted that pushing elderly patients into long-term care homes not of their choosing is a violation of fundamental rights.
Written by: Kennedy Freeman with files from The Canadian Press
