Long waits at local walk-in clinics
After moving to Ottawa a year ago, it’s been a challenge for Michelle Zilbergerts to access medical care.
“I have been trying to find a family doctor since moving here,” she said.
Zilbergerts says there were very few options when she needed to see a doctor fast.
“It’s frustrating, going into walk-in clinics and being forced to wait hours upon hours sometimes, just to get an appointment,” she said.
Traditionally, walk-in clinics are used by people without family doctors, but now the clinics themselves are filling up.
As an otherwise healthy 24-year-old, Zilbergerts says she was thankful it wasn’t an emergency.
“It’s definitely been really frustrating, the inability to access a stable family doctor has been definitely really stressful,” she said.
The president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) says the struggle to find a family doctor has gotten worse across the country.
“There was a recent report in Ontario that found that by 2025, there will be several million patients who can’t find a family doctor,” said Dr. Alika LaFontaine, president of the CMA.
Althea, an Ottawa resident, tried to access three walk-in clinics in Ottawa two weeks ago, but failed.
“I went to three and spent over a $100 in cabs, but didn’t see a doctor in person,” she said.
Rachel Muir, who is a registered nurse and president of the Ontario Nurses Association for the Ottawa Hospital, says long wait times are also being felt in the emergency room at the hospital.
“The average wait time in the emergency room is now almost 21 hours, so that for me tells me that if there are spaces available in the walk-in clinics, they are taken up rapidly.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
'$6.66 per day': Advocacy groups disheartened by funding in budget for disability benefit
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.