In a statement, the organization noted that both patients and healthcare professionals are suffering from the current situation and that a reconstruction of the healthcare system is needed.
“Despite the tireless efforts of doctors, nurses and other care providers, reports from across the country show that patients in some jurisdictions are waiting up to 20 hours or more for care,” wrote Kathleen Ross, president of the association.
Staffing shortages and hospital overcrowding, combined with poor access to quality care, mean hospital emergency departments are woefully under-resourced amid the onslaught of flu, Covid-19 or respiratory virus patients. Syncytial (VSR) this time of year, Ross warned.
“The Canadian Medical Association believes it is time to transform and rebuild the health care system, including initial investment in team-based primary care,” he said.
But the organization's warning is anything but a new call, according to several analysts: health experts have been sounding the alarm for years about the need to close gaping holes in the health care system.
The Covid-19 pandemic has placed enormous strain on the healthcare system, leaving it overstretched and understaffed. But despite calls for change, the situation has continued to deteriorate, CTV News emphasizes.
Currently, a fifth of Canadians do not have access to a primary care doctor, meaning they do not have access to timely treatment for minor problems.
“Without concerted collaboration and focus, we will continue to endure endless cycles of deterioration of our health systems and the people who work within them,” Ross wrote.
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