OTTAWA—For the Canadian Medical Association, Canada’s health crisis is still a serious concern. With summer break coming soon for members of parliament, the CMA reminds them that the health system is in serious trouble and that this crisis won’t be taking a break.
The CMA asks that while our members of Parliament are on their summer break, that they take time to discuss health issues in their constituencies to be able to come back better prepared in the fall with solutions to our health care systems woes.
Medical professionals are suffering from burnout. Physical and mental exhaustion is at record highs. Surgical and clinical backlogs are becoming longer and continue to hurt the system.
Therefore, as members of parliament head back home to enjoy their summer break, the CMA asks them to use the summer months to look into the health care issues in their respective ridings, so as to have a better understanding of current challenges and to return in the fall with a renewed conviction to the fall parliamentary session.
To support this task, the CMA has identified several key areas to think about and created a checklist including:
- Addressing family physician shortages: Reports show family doctors are leaving the profession or their practices and the list of orphan patients continues to grow. Members of Parliament are encouraged to speak to their constituents about their challenge in finding a family doctor or accessing primary care. Ask what their ideas are to address the issue and how the federal government could support initiatives to ensure every Canadian has access to a family doctor or primary health team.
- Fixing backlogs and wait times: Delayed care and a depleted workforce have sent the increase in backlogs and wait times to new levels. They ask MPs to engage in discussions with their constituents to understand their health system experiences and to use these insights to inform the ongoing dialogue between the federal and provincial/territorial governments on health matters.
- Promoting pandemic management and public health measures: With COVID-19 still very present in our communities, Members of Parliament have an opportunity to support local public health capacity to address the pandemic. As strong influencers in their communities, they can lead by example, by following health measures and promoting the benefits of vaccines and boosters.
- Engaging with and supporting marginalized populations: The marginalized populations have suffered disproportionately throughout the pandemic. It is critical that elected officials collaborate to understand the unique circumstances and barriers to accessing health care that these populations face and find solutions to addressing these inequities.
- Supporting health workers: A CMA survey conducted in November 2021 shows that Canadian physicians are burning out at an alarming rate, with more than 53% indicating a high level of exhaustion compared to 30 per cent in a 2017 survey. Members of Parliament are encouraged to engage with health workers to learn first-hand about the conditions in which they practise.
"While the delivery of care may be under provincial or territorial government jurisdiction, the responsibility of fixing the many problems in our health system is shared between the federal and provincial/territorial governments," says Dr. Katharine Smart, CMA president. "Federal leadership is required, and it's time for our MPs to take ownership in learning about and discussing the health issues that affect their ridings. Bring those issues and solutions back in the fall, so we can start addressing the issues facing our health system together."
