Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman
The President of the Ontario Medical Association made a stop in St. Thomas on Tuesday as part of a province-wide tour focused on strengthening health care in smaller and rural communities.
Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman, an allergist and clinical immunologist, says visiting communities like St. Thomas gives her a better chance to see first-hand how care is being delivered and to learn what’s working – and where more support is needed.
During her visit to the city, Dr. Abdurrahman toured local health-care facilities — including the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care — and met with Mayor Joe Preston to discuss the connection between health and issues like housing and social services. Before that, she stopped by the myFM studio to share what the focus of the day would be.
Dr. Abdurrahman also stresses the importance of collaboration between all levels of government — noting that health care goes beyond hospitals.
One of the biggest issues across Ontario continues to be access to family doctors, as well as community-based specialists. To help address that, the OMA is promoting a Patient Core Teams model – physician-led groups aimed at expanding access and easing pressure on doctors.
She adds that the goal of the OMA is to strengthen care in every corner of the province, especially in communities that often face the greatest barriers to access.
For more information on the Ontario Medical Association’s advocacy work, visit oma.org.
Written by: Kennedy Freeman
