October 18, 2023
Patients need access to primary care
This morning, France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt and Health Critic for the Official Opposition rose in the legislature to recognize the value and importance of Ontario’s primary care providers.
“This is Community Health and Wellbeing Week in Ontario. It is a week to celebrate with the members of the Alliance for Healthier communities: Community Health Centres, Indigenous Primary Health Care Organizations, Community Family Health Teams, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics and the good work they do to keep Ontarians Healthy. There are 111 members of the Alliance who serve Ontarians in every corner of our province.
These not-for-profit agencies provide comprehensive primary care to people who often face barriers to access and health inequities. From health promotion, disease prevention, primary care to chronic disease management, from newborn and children’s programs to elderly person centers they do it all. They keep people healthy and out of emergency rooms which is good for their clients, decreases demand on our acute care system and saves money. A win-win.
I assure you my NDP colleagues and I will always stand for equitable access to health care for everyone in Ontario. That includes the 2.2 millions Ontarians who do not have access to primary care, they do not have a family physician or a nurse practitioner. The Ontario Medical Association was here two days ago asking the government to fund interdisciplinary primary care teams. We can do this speaker, the Ontario government needs to fund more Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics, Community Family Health Teams, Indigenous Primary Health Care Organizations and Community Health Centres. The sooner the better. ”