One doctor on shift: Inside Ontario's ERs in crisis

CBC News followed the lone ER doctor on shift at the North Shore Health Network in Blind River and Thessalon, Ont. During its exclusive access inside the three hospitals in the region, CBC looked at how the care measures up to larger centres, and how they avoid closures.

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[andylowell]

It's not just Northern Onrario, it's small community hospitals everywhere across Ontario, and I would imagine Canada. I've worked in healthcare 35 years and have never worked with skeleton crews like this. It's a mess. And it's not just doctors and nurses. It's every healthcare profession hanging on by a thread. We are so tired.

[danniehyson]

Liverpool, Nova Scotia, our emergency room was closed all of last week. The next hospital is thirty miles away. That emergency room also closes regularly.

[yerabbit]

Ford has been cutting funding since 2018. Just restore the funding to what it used to be, and stop wasting money on beer contracts.

[patented-ou]

Nevermind the Northern part of Ontario, even the entire province of “Yours to Discover” is going through a medical emergency.

[KateriFire]

and this is depictions of reactive healthcare, preventative health care and mental health care are also tragic up north

[MintVision]

This is how Doug Ford 'helps' the little guy

[sylviebrindamour]

My in-law waited 21 hours in emergency at a Ottawa hospital. After midnight, only 1 doctor on shift. I guess having alcohol in every corner store is more important. 😢

[KateriFire]

The thessalon manor is the BEST nursing home between sault to sudbury, and its connected to the thessalon hospital, that hospital & nursing home combo ensures so many seniors are well taken care of as well as the community at large ❤

[abdulinayat]

Out of the half a million people bringing in a year but not a single doctor or a nurse. I guess fast food workers, doordash delivery people, security guards, uber and truck drivers are more needed.

[radx]

Been waiting to see my family doctor for 4 years now and counting. Imagine if you had an issue.

[lucasprovencher]

CBC didn't lock the comments. Look at you growing a spine. A sincere 'atta boy'

[fatimaM]

We as an IMG want to give back to Canada following long time stay in Canada. We commit to improve ourselves in case, if we find a nice way to get in. Then no doubt we can fill in, to serve communities with all our knowledge and strengths!
God bless Canada!!

[BarbaraWood-yt]

This is insane. Ontario is a very rich province. So premier.. where are you and where is the money going...and going and going.

[ksully]

The "music" overlay is just irritating. When listening to a news report I want to hear the people in the report and feel no need for additional noise. Please consider not adding any extra noise to the report, .

[quantum]

So, as a Canadian physician who works in the US, I have some things to say. You could pay more to have rural areas covered, but you really don’t. Need coverage where people don’t wanna go? Gotta pay more, just how it is. In the US we pay locums flights, hotel costs and a higher amount. I was looking into doing this in Canada and the compensation is abysmal. Some won’t pay enough to cover flight costs, some won’t cover hotel, compensation is the same as for working in an urban city center.

[jprivet]

Not only a rural problem. It's the same at the Ottawa General where there's only one doctor in the ER wing most days on shift

[factfrenzy]

This is all over 🇨🇦. The shortage of doctors all over is insane.

[brandonlongbottom]

Waiting from 2 pm to 4 am to see a doctor in North Bay, a multi billion dollar hospital they built on a swamp in 2011 and it's sinking so we'll need a new one in a decade probably

[Maryb-jk]

Trust me it’s not just rural areas! I waited in the Mount Sinai hospital ER room, in the middle of due town Toronto, for 18 hours before a nurse showed up to take me for an X-ray if my sorely broken foot 😑😑😑 it’s so scary what’s happening to this country

[Welcometothesunnyside]

All hospitals should have all equipment it’s ridiculous u have to overload towns and cities with ppl who have a working hospital in their own areas but they aren’t properly stocked with the right equipment
This should be something they fix so it burdens the cities less
All major cities should have specialists and proper facilities and workers to deal with the high amount of ppl