According to data from Statistics Canada, the number of vacancies for health care workers, mainly in hospitals, increased by almost 92% between September and December 2021 compared to the same period in 2019.
Paul-Émile Cloutier is the President and CEO of HealthCareCAN, an organization that represents research hospitals, health centers and health organizations across the country. According to him, the situation continues to worsen.
There are staff shortages throughout the health system now, he says. This labor shortage is no longer reserved for intensive care units or emergencies.
« It is as if we are heading with our eyes closed towards a catastrophe. »
Paul-Émile Cloutier explains that there are 13 different health care systems in provinces and territories across the country, but there is no central body that collects and analyzes data as a whole . HealthCareCAN would therefore like to see the creation of such an organization, the purpose of which would be to solve capacity problems in hospitals as well as labor shortages.
For her part, the president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Katharine Smart, declared on Friday on the air of Power & Politics from CBC having recently spoken with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos about the challenges facing the health care system in Canada.
I think we need federal leadership that truly recognizes that the challenges we’re seeing across the health care system aren’t unique to any one province or territory, she argues. We need that leadership to identify priority issues, and the funding needed to address some of those issues.
Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced last March that Ottawa would provide $2 billion to the provinces and territories to help them reduce lineups and delays caused by load shedding.
Anne Génier, a spokeswoman for Health Canada, says the government is also taking other steps to reduce backlogs in the health care system and tackle burnout.
In a statement, she highlights the commitment of $140 million in the last federal budget to fund the Wellness Canada platform, whose goal is to offer free and confidential health services and tools. and addictions to front-line workers and to make legislative changes to keep workplaces free from threats, violence and harassment.
A healthy work environment is key to retaining healthcare workers
says the spokesperson.
Anne Génier also adds that the budget also provides $115 million over five and then $30 million each year thereafter to expand the Foreign Credential Recognition Program in the health sector to enable internationally trained health professionals to work in their field in Canada.
Millions of dollars have also been earmarked for hiring and retaining healthcare workers in rural and remote communities across the country, she says.
Paul-Émile Cloutier and Dr. Katharine Smart believe, however, that these measures are not sufficient.
We need to organize a meeting of first ministers to discuss health issues with partners in the sector,” believes Paul-Émile Cloutier. In my opinion, such a meeting could really be useful because I think the provinces understand that there is also a big problem at the provincial level.
An environment that is no longer safe
An emergency physician in Ontario, Dr. Kari Sampsel, resigned last December after 15 years of work because she felt that her work environment was no longer safe for her and her patients.
The former emergency physician points out that she had to treat some patients in their vehicles in the hospital parking lot or in the hallways because the emergency rooms were overflowing and there were no beds available.
Dr. Kari Sampsel has resigned after 15 years as an emergency physician.
Photo: Provided by Michelle Valberg
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She did not want to name the hospital where she worked for fear of reprisals.
Dr. Kari Sampsel says she felt it was time to leave when her work environment began to take a toll on her mental health.
« I no longer do a job that I love because it was killing me. »
She adds that her former department now has a shortfall of twelve full-time doctors and that most of her colleagues complain of burnout.
People feel the need to leave to preserve their well-being. Work is not the problem. The circumstances are
concludes Dr. Kari Sampsel.
More support for healthcare professionals
HealthCareCAN is also asking the federal government for more funding to improve work environments and work-life balance, as well as more mental health services for healthcare workers.
Danielle Chaput worked as an intensive care nurse in Ontario for 12 years. She says she was diagnosed during the pandemic with compassion fatigue, burnout, and generalized anxiety disorder.
