As Ontario anticipates a rise in respiratory diseases — including variants of COVID-19 — in the next several months, the health minister released an updated "Plan to Stay Open" on Thursday.
Health Minister and Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones said the new plan will key in on "health system stability and recovery" with a promise to hire up to 6,000 additional health-care workers along with freeing up 2,500 more hospital beds. The plan would also temporarily cover the costs of examination, application and registration fees for retired and internationally trained nurses, said a news release from the health ministry.
She said this includes giving Ontario nurses a $5,000 retention bonus along with the opening of new medical schools in Southern Ontario.
Jones was speaking during an online news conference from the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto,
“When we released our first Plan to Stay Open in March 2022, we made a promise to build an Ontario that is ready for the challenges of tomorrow because we can no longer accept the status quo,” Jones told reporters.
“The second phase of our plan will provide the support our health system needs to address the urgent pressures of today while preparing for a potential winter surge so our province and economy can stay open,” she added.
Another part of the plan is focused on preserving hospital capacity, said Jones. As part of the effort to fight off the spread of COVID-19 the province said it is continuing to provide access to testing for COVID-19, Paxlovid and Evusheld therapies for treatment for those who are eligible, with plans on expanding eligibility for Evusheld for high-risk populations in the coming weeks.
Ontario will continue to be aggressive on the vaccination front, Jones said.
"COVID-19 and flu shots will also continue to be provided to Ontarians so they can stay up to date with their vaccinations to protect themselves and reduce the number of hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses," Jones said.
She said the plan will also improve the overall health-care situation across the province.
"As the actions in this plan are implemented, Ontarians can expect to see faster access to health care including lower wait times in emergency departments," Jones said.
She also commented on the controversial subject of privatization of health services, something opposition New Democrats say is a move in the wrong direction.
Ontario is working with hospital partners to identify ways to reduce wait times for surgeries and procedures, including considering options for further increasing surgical capacity by increasing the number of OHIP-covered surgical procedures performed at private clinics, Jones told reporters.
Jones also admitted “we know that even more needs to be done to improve patient care and support our health care workers. We can no longer accept the status quo," she said.
Speaking to possible opposition concerns, Jones said there are others in Ontario who want to keep the status quo and are ideologically opposed to change or improvement. Jones said Ontario will not accept that.
A health ministry news release issued Thursday also addressed the concern over the backlog of surgeries.
"Timely access to surgery is important for keeping patients healthy and reducing pressure on the health care system in the long-term. That is why the government is investing over $300 million in 2022–23 as part of the province’s surgical recovery strategy, bringing the total investment to $880 million over the last three fiscal years," said the release.
Also speaking at the online event was Ministry of Long-Term Care minister Paul Calandra, who said there are elements in the health plan to support the transition of more patients from hospitals into long-term care when appropriate.
“We are taking action to get Ontarians the right care in the right setting, where they can have the best possible quality of life, while freeing up much-needed hospital beds," Calandra said.
