Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie expressed concern over the looming crisis, stating, 'This is something that we should have been planning for, for six years now. [The Progressive Conservatives] don’t have a plan to take care of it.' This reflects a significant oversight in preparing for an aging physician workforce, emphasizing the urgency for a strategic plan to address the potential loss of family doctors due to retirement.
The ongoing situation highlights a growing gap in healthcare resources. Dr. Cathy Risdon stated, 'The number of international students in medical school is not an issue in Ontario,' which points out that focusing solely on student recruitment ignores the pressing real-world challenges that existing family doctors are facing, potentially leaving millions of patients without adequate care.
Minister Sylvia Jones acknowledged the retirement issue but insisted her government's approach is proactive, saying, '[Retirements] are exactly why we’ve made the investments that we are. Expanding access to medical schools, expanding the number of seats, expanding the number of medical schools in the province of Ontario.' This statement underscores the government's commitment to addressing the physician shortage through educational expansion.
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