Ontario Medical Association develops survey for residents to share their healthcare concerns

Healthcare workers in full PPE. (file)

Windsor, Ont. -

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is looking for input from Windsor-Essex residents on how to improve local health care.

The OMA has developed a survey that will be used to create recommendations to local health services and across the province as it emerges from the pandemic. The recommendations will aim to address healthcare priorities, the backlog of services, and access to mental health, among others.

“This is a huge province and health-care priorities here can be very different from those in other regions like Toronto,” Dr. Albert Ng, chair of the local OMA district, said in a news release. “As we create a plan for the future of health care in Ontario, from the grassroots up, we are asking everyone across the province to provide their input to ensure local health care needs are considered.”

The OMA says doctors in all regions across the province have been meeting to discuss needed changes and address issues they experience daily.

The OMA plans to consult with the public, its members, healthcare stakeholders, community leaders and elected officials to help with establishing the recommendations.

“It starts with hearing from our patients, their families, friends and neighbours about their health-care priorities. Doctors are listening,” Dr. Ng said. “It’s time to fix the cracks in the health-care system that COVID-19 has exposed here in Windsor, the surrounding area and across the province.  By completing the survey, we will help identify the first steps that need to be taken as the health-care system refocuses its efforts beyond the pandemic.”

For more information and to participate in the survey, visit Betterhealthcare.ca