How northwestern Ontarians want election candidates to tackle healthcare issues
CBC
Healthcare is top of mind for many northwestern Ontario voters heading into the 2025 provincial election.
Almost a quarter of Thunder Bay residents don't have access to a family doctor, according to Ontario Medical Association (OMA) data from 2022, while finding a new family doctor in Thunder Bay has proven near-impossible for some patients.
Hospitals in northwestern Ontario are on the brink of collapse amid doctor shortages, while doctors say rural and northern Emergency rooms (ERs) face risks of closure. The staff in northwestern Ontario ERs say they are burning out from working excessive hours while trying to keep services open.
Meanwhile, thousands of northern Ontarians have to travel long distances in order to get specialist and diagnostic care every year, according to provincial data.
Many reserves only have nursing stations, which means patients have to take flights or ice road journeys hundreds of kilometres and stay overnight to access care. This means thousands of First Nations patients in Northwestern Ontario are forced to take these kind of journeys to the closest hospital.
CBC News interviewed three residents from various northwestern Ontario ridings with differing views to learn more about what they want to see their next MPPs do to address healthcare issues. Here's what they shared.
Eric Tatrallyay, who lives in Thunder Bay, said access to primary care providers is the most important issue to him this election.
He said he wants to see candidates provide specific details on how they will connect Ontarians to a doctor or nurse practitioner who can follow their care.
"They need to have a concrete plan, like strategies, not just say 'we're going to do this by such-and-such a date' because we've heard that many times and it doesn't happen," said Tatrallyay.
Tatrallyay said he hasn't had a family doctor for about three years, and worries he could need more consistent care than a walk-in clinic can provide as he ages.
He said he'd like to see the next government put effort into researching more successful primary care systems in other countries and optimizing Ontario's systems based on their findings.
"If they can achieve that, I don't see why we can't," said Tatrallyay, referencing Denmark, where 98% of people have a primary care provider.
Scott Kennedy lives north of Thunder Bay in Fowler. During this election, he said he'd like to see candidates describe how they plan to increase training and recruitment of healthcare workers willing to work in northwestern Ontario.
While many candidates' platforms include promises to hire more doctors or nurse practitioners, Kennedy said he needs more information about how they plan to make that happen.
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