North Bay City Council has resolved to "strongly request" for the Government of Ontario to grant the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) a permanent increase in annual base funding by $4 million before the end of this fiscal year.
This would enable NOSM University to continue to deliver on the mandate the PC government initially established in response to the needs of Northern municipalities, reads the motion, which originated from the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), and was brought forward in North Bay by Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield and Councillor Justine Mallah.
"As we all know, there is a significant need for primary care physicians and specialists in northern Ontario," offered Mallah in support. "The Ontario College of Family Physicians and the Ontario Medical Association's section on general and family practice say emergency departments in northern Ontario are struggling to remain open because of staffing shortages. Physicians are working around the clock, trying to provide quality care, however, this is not always sustainable and can take a toll on their health and well-being and that of their families."
See related: Local ER issues critical physician staffing notice
One in eight Northern residents does not have access to a family doctor, and many must travel long distances to access healthcare services representing the failure of healthcare in Northern Ontario, according to the motion. In April 2022, the motion states, the Ford government announced an unprecedented medical expansion for the NOSM University's medical programs but the base funding rates have not been increased sufficiently to accommodate growth and expansion.
Mallah added, "This lack of sufficient health care affects the physical, mental, and emotional health of our citizens. It affects community well-being and safety."
See also: $1.3 million to reduce emergency room wait times
Horsfield summed up with, "Doctors who study in the north, stay in the north. The current base funding rates for NOSM should be sufficiently increased to accommodate the growth and expansion [of NOSM University]." We recently saw the "emergency department in North Bay is having challenges and the doctors have come forward to communicate those challenges."
The resolution will be forwarded to Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Health and Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones, Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop, MPPs Greg Rickford, Vic Fedeli, George Pirie, Ross Romano, Kevin Holland, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, Northern Ontario Academic Medicine Association and the leaders of the opposition parties of Ontario.
