Is Canada Missing out on Leveraging ITMDs in it ’s Healthcare Plans?

This report says, Justin Trudeau promised that the Liberals would spend $3 billion over four years starting in 2022 to hire 7500 family doctors and nurses as well as tax and student loan incentives for health professionals who set up shop in rural or remote communities and also pledges an extra $6 billion to wrestle with wait lists. Dr. Shafi BhuiyanA 2019 report states that there were 91,375 physicians in Canada, representing 241 physicians per 100,000 population. According to the Canadian Medical Association, around five million Canadians don’t have a primary care physician, or family health care team. Canada’s overburdened healthcare system is yet to tap into its advantage all the untapped talent and skills available to it, as seen during the significant role Internationally Trained Medical Doctors, ITMDs played in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the vaccination clinics, working as contact tracing managers and mental health advisors. Canada is losing out by not involving and including ITMDs, says Dr. Shafi Bhuiyan, a health professional and Chair of ITMDs Canada Network (iCAN). “Over 4.5 million Canadians are not able to find their family physician, as a result the wait time to see a doctor has been increasing continuously, which is also resulting in social peace and justice disruption.” Canada currently has more than 13,000 ITMDs, and the visa process, Bhuiyan says, has “a very thorough and rigorous screening program by the Canadian CIC, where medi...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: COVID-19 Development & Aid Economy & Trade Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies Labour Migration & Refugees North America Source Type: news