ERs in rural Northern Ontario are on the brink of collapse, doctors warn – CBC

They are calling on the province to extend a summer incentive program that helped attract visiting doctors

Aug 21, 2023

Family doctors in rural northeastern Ontario say emergency rooms are at higher risk of closure this fall than ever.

The warning comes at a time when many healthcare facilities in the region grapple with a deepening doctor shortage.

Most big cities have doctors who specialize in emergency care.

However, in rural communities in the north, family doctors have their own clinics and are also responsible for providing emergency care.

“It’s really a crisis situation in the north right now and a lot of family doctors in many communities are barely hanging on to keep their emergency rooms open,” said Dr. Anjali Oberai, a family physician in Wawa.

Her community, like many others in the north, rely on visiting doctors called locums to help cover emergency shifts.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/emergency-room-closure-doctor-shortage-1.6941162