When Doug Ford assumed office as Ontario's Premier in June 2018, he pledged to end hallway health care, a pressing issue at that time. However, five years later, the problem has only worsened. The waitlist for long-term care beds has surged from 35,000 in 2018 to 43,000 by autumn 2023. Ontario's population has grown significantly, from 14,251,136 in 2018 to 16,033,583 by June 2024, marking a 12.5 percent increase. Despite this growth, the province continues to struggle with some of the lowest rates of staffed hospital beds per capita in the developed world.
The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) reports that the province would need to hire an additional 34,292 full-time workers to match staffing levels of other Canadian provinces. Comparatively, in 2021, Korea had 12.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people, while Canada had only 2.8 beds per 1,000 people. This disparity underscores the challenges faced by Ontario's healthcare system as it grapples with increasing numbers of patients in hallways and extensive waitlists for long-term care, home care, and supportive housing.
The government's own data reveals that more than one in five local emergency departments in Ontario has experienced at least one unplanned closure between 2022 and 2024. Furthermore, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reports that there are currently 15,396 unfilled nursing positions in Ontario. The government's commitment to adding 3,000 new hospital beds over the next decade falls short of addressing this shortage. Adding to these challenges is the underreporting of funds transferred to for-profit entities, with a staggering 720% underreporting amounting to $474.1 million.
Bill 124 has further compounded the crisis by capping wages for medical staff, leading to restrained wages, overwork, and poor morale among healthcare workers. Many Ontarians now find themselves without family doctors, while the hiring of nursing staff through agencies has increased. The situation mirrors similar chaos observed in Alberta's healthcare system, where government measures have encouraged individuals to seek alternative care options.
“We knew 80 years ago how many 80-year-olds would be here today—or a good estimate—and yet we have, for decades, not prepared appropriately.” – Carolyn Snider, vice-chair of the public affairs committee of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians
Carolyn Snider, vice-chair of the public affairs committee of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, highlights the lack of long-term planning that has contributed to the current crisis. She expresses frustration over how basic healthcare continues to be driven by political agendas and election cycles.
“It’s incredibly frustrating to see so much of our basic health care being driven by politics and four-year election cycles.” – Carolyn Snider
Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, argues that there is a lack of political will to fix the public health system, suggesting instead that there is an inclination towards privatization.
“The will is not there to fix the public health system. They just want to privatize it.” – Natalie Mehra
Emergency doctor Raghu Venugopal paints a stark picture of current conditions in Ontario hospitals.
“I would love a hallway stretcher.” – Raghu Venugopal
“We’re now in the era of chair medicine.” – Raghu Venugopal
“It’s impossible to do a good physical exam when a patient is propped up in a chair.” – Raghu Venugopal
Andrew Longhurst from Simon Fraser University points out that capacity issues are tied to staffing availability, which remains unchanged despite profit-driven motives.
“Capacity depends on the availability of qualified staff, which is unchanged by the addition of profit.” – Andrew Longhurst
Longhurst anticipates an escalation of these issues if another Ford majority government comes into power.
“If we have another Ford majority government, I fully expect things to ramp up further.” – Andrew Longhurst
He warns that the government is moving towards building a for-profit surgical and diagnostic sector.
“The government is moving in this direction. It’s shown no indication that it’s going to move away from building out a for-profit surgical and diagnostic sector.” – Andrew Longhurst
Vice President Irfan Dhalla from Unity Health Toronto emphasizes the societal responsibility to provide quality care without financial barriers.
“We don’t make people pay for that care if they need it.” – Irfan Dhalla
Dhalla advocates for a collective commitment to offer exceptional care to everyone.
“If there is a societal desire to really provide great care to everyone, we can do that. It’s a shared commitment that we all have to make.” – Irfan Dhalla
He likens the current state of healthcare to an overcrowded airplane.
“It’s like getting on an airplane where everyone has an extra passenger in their lap.” – Irfan Dhalla
