COVID Impacts Viability of Local Medical Practices

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Dear MPP,

Our community’s infrastructure for outpatient medical care provided in local Independent Health Facilities (IHFs) and medical clinics is at immediate risk of collapsing because routine funding has almost ceased due to the all-out effort to combat COVID-19. As a local physician in your riding, I’m writing to alert you to this urgent patient care concern and seek your direct intervention.

We are proposing a COVID Ontario Medical Practice Sustainability Grant program (like MOH’s funded grants during the 2003 SARS pandemic) to ensure the survival of Ontario’s outpatient infrastructure and medical services. Loans will not work as the MOH previously concluded during SARS.

Ontario’s medical infrastructure has already been affected by COVID-19:

• Over 300 closed medical practices and unable to provide telemedicine services
• PPE and testing is unavailable to adequately and safely protect patients and staff`
• Patient service volumes are down by as much as 60-90% in clinics/IHFs still open
• Over 3,000 highly skilled technologists and other technical and clerical staff are laid off
• Many communities have experienced greatly reduced access to specialty care services

A short-term emergency COVID Medical Practice Sustainability Grant is required to cover the enormous fixed overhead and medical costs. These publicly funded medical clinics and IHFs provide 50% of Ontario’s outpatient services but cannot remain viable without emergency assistance.

I am available to speak with you. Will you please contact the Premier and the Health Minister to ask them to implement our recommendation to protect patients as we move together towards the postpandemic period.

Signed,