MINDEMOYA—Manitoulin Island municipalities and First Nations will soon be pressuring the provincial and federal governments for more funding to the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) and other health care organizations on the Island to curb the current health care emergency.
“Manitoulin Island is in a health care crisis and it will take coordination and a strategy to bring these concerns to the government,” Linda Debassige, ogimaa-kwe of M’Chigeeng First Nation, told a Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) meeting recently. She said the lack of human resources in terms of doctors and nurses and other health care professionals is starting to cripple the system.
Dr. Maurianne Reade, president of professional staff at Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) told The Expositor, “last summer we were really short on nurses, so a lot of creative work had to be in place to fill shifts. We had, and have, a lot of travelling nurses brought in to work full shifts as the emergency department was close to closing one time last summer. Often it’s hard to get enough nurses to fill all the shifts in the emergency department. We are definitely not flush with doctors or nurses so this could come up again in the future. And we still rely heavily on travelling nurses. Everyone is having to work too hard.”
The MHC is looking at a financial deficit position of $1.5 million in its (travelling nurses) budget over the past fiscal year, “because of how much more it costs for hospitals bringing in travelling nurses,” said Dr. Reade. “This is the case with every hospital in Northern Ontario except one. Everyone is running deficits.”
“We need to look at how to advocate as hard as we can so both of our hospitals remain open,” said Ogimaa-kwe Debassige at the MMA meeting. “Imagine if the Mindemoya hospital was closed?” she said. “Currently the hospital is facing challenges in the way it is operating, (which) is unsustainable into the future.”
“Without that hospital, many residents on the West End of the Island would not receive care,” stressed Ogimaa-kwe Debassige.
The crisis reaches beyond MHC. For example, at the Gore Bay Western Manitoulin Medical Centre, Dr. Robert Hamilton and Dr. Shelagh McRae would like to retire but there is no one to take their place.
The challenge is obtaining funding for full-time employee doctors and nurses.
Ogimaa-kwe Debassige said MHC is currently funded for six full-time physicians but that funding has been stagnant for the past 25 years. “There has been an increase in the number of patients and population on the Island, (an increase in) cancer, diabetes, opioid overdoses. And obviously, we see an influx in all our communities during the summer months with summer residents. That brings additional pressures to the site. Twenty-five years ago that was fine, but today it is not.”
MMA Chair Ken Noland said if funding has been stagnant for the past 25 years for recruiting physicians while our population doubled, the ministry should be providing funding for 12 doctors.
“As Dr. (Maurianne) Reade has indicated, without additional funding we can’t recruit (health care professionals) here and many may not have a job next year,” she added.
MHC is currently employing six travel nurses who are not funded and this is using hospital resources to fund this cost, said Ogimaa-kwe Debassige. “This will create a need for perpetual fundraising.”
Ogimaa-kwe Debassige pointed out that when Toronto doctors come to Manitoulin, they get their salary plus more. “If I’m here as a nurse and have been here a while and someone else comes up here and they are getting paid more, I would be upset.”
Access to care is another underfunded area. In Toronto, hospitals and doctors are 10 minutes down the road, but even getting Ornge (air ambulance) to Manitoulin is very difficult, she said. “Access to care is needed for people having a cardiac episode, for instance.”
The health care system has not had a reprieve since COVID, the ogimaa-kwe told MMA members. “First and foremost, collectively we need to express our appreciation for our health care workers. We did through the pandemic. We showed them the committee has their backs,” she said, adding that doctors and nurses are under non-stop pressure to work overtime but, “they’re like anyone and can only take so much.”
“Al (MacNevin, NEMI mayor) and I decided to raise this issue to work out a position and advance a strategy. We’ve talked to (Aundeck Omni Kaning) Chief Patsy Corbiere about this emergency situation. The current model of operating is unsustainable.”
“There is an opportunity for us (municipalities and First Nations) to come together and see what we can do, and to lobby on behalf of the hospital,” said Ogimaa-kwe Debassige. She also said that sometimes letters are not enough. “As it relates to health care, the squeakiest wheel gets the grease.”
She suggested that perhaps First Nations could take the lead on this.
Derek Stephens, a Central Manitoulin councillor, said the Minister of Health is focusing on Northern Ontario School of Medicine and getting new doctors to stay in the North. “I relayed the same problems raised here tonight to the minister,” he said. “She said ‘nothing is off the table to attract health care workers.’ I’m hearing they’re trying to attract nurse practitioners. Maybe it’s time we squeak loudly, with (both) municipalities and First Nations.”
Ogimaa-kwe Debassige explained this is more of a framework opportunity for the Island to make a declaration that “we are in an emergency state and need a pathway forward,” for municipalities and First Nations to write letters to the ministry, Premier Doug Ford and MPPs. “Is there an opportunity for the federal government to help Manitoulin Island?” she asked. “There are definitely opportunities to write to them and continue to make statements and to hold rallies in the community, etc.”
“I think we are all on the same page on this issue but how to start, where do we begin?” asked Mr. Noland.
“At every conference I attend, (Minister) Sylvia Jones says help is one the way. At AMO, ROMA, FONOM, I hear the same party line,” said Councillor Stephens.
MMA passed a motion to draft a letter outlining all the concerns surrounding the issue. It will be sent to First Nations and municipalities to add their concerns, then sent to provincial and federal governments and MPPs/MPs so the Island can get help for the current emergency in health care on Manitoulin.
