Ontario announces plan to stabilize health care system
The government is hiring another 6,000 health workers.
The Ontario government has released its thoughts on health care operations ahead of the traditionally challenging fall and winter months.
The main points of the plan, aimed at "stabilizing and rebuilding the health care system," are a dramatic increase in the number of health care workers and the freeing up of hospital beds. These additions will reportedly help reduce the strain on the broader health care system, which has been severely strained over the past few months because of staffing shortages:
"This year will also involve the Omicron strain. We need to do more to meet the current challenges, make more progress on surgical challenges, and be properly prepared for any upcoming winter surge."
The 18-page document specifies a law that would allow elderly patients in the hospital waiting to be placed in a nursing home to be transferred to an alternative facility and stay there until their preferred location opens. This innovation will free up 250 hospital beds within the first six months. Secretary of Long-Term Care Paul Calandra commented on the controversy and said the proposal would ensure patients receive care in an appropriate setting. He assured that patients would not be forced to leave the hospital against their will.
In addition, by the end of the summer, long-term care beds set aside for COVID-19 isolation will also become available. This decision was made on the advice of the provincial chief medical officer and will free up an additional 1,000 beds within six months.
The most important point was the discussion of the staffing famine. The government promised to add 6,000 more nurses, for which it would temporarily cover the cost of licensure exams, application and registration fees for internationally trained and retired nurses, which would significantly lower financial barriers and save candidates about $1500 CAD.
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