Doctor situation raised in parliament: Riverside working on a plan for Rainy River, post April 16, 2012

By Ken Johnston
Editor

With the announcement last week that Rainy River’s last full-time Dr. David Singleton, is leaving 14 months earlier than originally thought, there was much talk about what will happen in Rainy River when his resignation takes effect April, 16, 2012.
Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell raised the issue in the provincial Parliament last Thursday. Here is the hansard copy of what was said:
Ms. Sarah Campbell: My question is to the Minister of Health. A month ago I wrote to the Minister of Health, urging her to address the ongoing problems in primary and emergency care in Rainy River. I invited the minister to come to my riding, sit down with health providers and community members, and finally come up with a solution that will work in the long term.
One month later, I have not received a response, and we are now facing a crisis. I have a copy of that letter and a new one that I will ask a page to hand-deliver to the Minister of Health.
The only doctor who is left in Rainy River is leaving his position as of April after concluding, and this is a quote from him, “that the Ministry of Health has no interest in fixing the problem.”
Why is the minister forcing Rainy River into a crisis situation rather than working with us to solve the issue?
Hon. Deborah Matthews: Thank you for the question, and I welcome the invitation to come to Rainy River.
What I do want to say is that we are aware of the emergency department issues in Rainy River. We’re working very hard to ensure the coverage that is required. I do want to say that I’m very happy to know that the emergency department is now fully covered until April 5. The member opposite has raised issues before, worried about coverage over Christmas holidays, for example, and we fixed that. We’ve now got coverage until April 5.
I can tell you that we are working hard to ensure that there is access to care throughout the province, and that is part of the reason why we are bringing primary care under the umbrella of the LHINs. It is at the LHIN level, the regional level, that primary care can be delivered—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Supplementary?
Ms. Sarah Campbell: It’s a systemic issue. It’s not a problem at the LHIN level; it’s a systemic issue.
This doctor has been sounding alarm bells for years. The situation for family doctors in communities like Rainy River is untenable and it means that we are unable to recruit permanent family doctors.
The minister knows all of this, yet she keeps hoping that the problems will somehow magically disappear. Well, they won’t. The system as it now stands is broken. Will the minister commit to working with me and health care officials to create a strategy that works for Rainy River and other northern communities?
Hon. Deborah Matthews: What I can tell you is that this government has been very focused on ensuring that there is health coverage in the north. That is why we opened a new medical school in northern Ontario called the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. It is now graduating doctors who are from the north.
The Record also contacted Riverside Health Care Facilities, the umbrella organization that oversees medical facilities in Rainy River, Emo and Fort Frances to ask if they have a plan in place for Rainy River come April 16, 2012? And what will happen to Long Term Care patients? Will those beds be moved back to Fort Frances if there are no doctors in Rainy River to see them on a daily basis?
Here is media representative Nicke Baird’s reply last Wednesday:
“We are currently working on a plan and will update the media when we have it together. The media is the first on our list to notify as soon as we have a definite plan or solution to the concern.”
Mayor Deb Ewald was unavailable this week for comment as she is in meetings in Toronto. She said at the February council meeting that she personally hopes to bend Health Minister Deb Matthews’ ear about the situation in Rainy River while in Toronto this week.
Town clerk Veldron Vogan said Monday, "Dr. Singleton's accelerated resignation is a cause for great concern. Mayor Ewald in Toronto attending the Ontario Good Roads Association/Rural Ontario Municipalities Association Conference this week and will be meeting with the Minister of Health and Long Term Care Deb Matthews as part of the
Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association delegation and as well as a face to face meeting with Parliamentary Assistant to Minister Matthews to express the need and concerns of our communities. Mayor Ewald is also meeting with the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines to discuss funding of the Rainy River House project."