Ontario outlines plans to train more doctors after pandemic exposed staffing shortages
Ontario is planning to train more doctors after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed staffing shortages in the health care system.
The plan includes adding 160 undergraduate, and 294 post-graduate positions to Ontario medical schools.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called it the “largest expansion of medical education in ten years” during the announcement on Tuesday.
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Flaws in Ontario’s health care system, including staffing shortages, were exacerbated and exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Ford says his government continues to take steps to alleviate strain on the system.
“We’ve already shored up domestic production of critical supplies like PPE and have added thousands more hospital beds. Now, building on our work to recruit and retain nurses and personal support workers, we’re launching the largest expansion of medical education in ten years.”
Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, said the expansion at medical schools “will increase access to family and specialty physicians and other health care professionals in every corner of the province…”
Expanded undergraduate and postgraduate medical school positions will be allocated as follows:
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- Ryerson University will receive 80 undergraduate seats and 95 postgraduate positions
- University of Toronto will receive 30 undergraduate seats and 45 postgraduate positions
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine will receive 30 undergraduate seats, and 41 postgraduate positions
- Queen’s University will receive 20 undergraduate seats and 30 postgraduate positions
- Western University, McMaster University and University of Ottawa will each receive 28 postgraduate positions.
Earlier Tuesday, CityNews confirmed that the Ford government would be making pandemic pay raises to personal support workers permanent.
Long-term care and community care will retain pay increases of $3 an hour while workers in public hospitals will keep a $2 an hour hike.
The government intends to introduce the pay raise legislation sometime this month.
With files from Richard Southern
